THS* 

Eveft  Child  Should  Know 
Edited  by  H.W.Mab;. 


144  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

caught  their  splendid  butterfly.  Europa  screamed  with 
delight;  and  Phoenix,  Cilix,  and  Cadmus  stood  gaping 
at  the  spectacle  of  their  sister  mounted  on  a  white  bull, 
not  knowing  whether  to  be  frightened  or  to  wish  the  same 
good  luck  for  themselves.  The  gentle  and  innocent 
creature  (for  who  could  possibly  doubt  that  he  was  so?) 
pranced  round  among  the  children  as  sportively  as  a 
kitten.  Europa  all  the  while  looked  down  upon  her 
brothers,  nodding  and  laughing,  but  yet  with  a  sort  of 
stateliness  in  her  rosy  little  face.  As  the  bull  wheeled 
about  to  take  another  gallop  across  the  meadow,  the 
child  waved  her  hand,  and  said,  "Good-by,"  playfully 
pretending  that  she  was  now  bound  on  a  distant  journey, 
and  might  not  see  her  brothers  again  for  nobody  could 
tell  how  long. 

"Good-by,"  shouted  Cadmus,  Phoenix,  and  Cilix,  all 
in  one  breath. 

But,  together  with  her  enjoyment  of  the  sport,  there 
was  still  a  little  remnant  of  fear  in  the  child's  heart;  so 
that  her  last  look  at  the  three  boys  was  a  troubled  one, 
and  made  them  feel  as  if  their  dear  sister  were  really  leav 
ing  them  forever.  And  what  do  you  think  the  snowy  bull 
did  next  ?  Why,  he  set  off,  as  swift  as  the  wind,  straight 
down  to  the  seashore,  scampered  across  the  sand,  took 
an  airy  leap,  and  plunged  right  in  among  the  foaming 
billows.  The  white  spray  rose  in  a  shower  over  him  and 
little  Europa,  and  fell  spattering  down  upon  the  water. 

Then  what  a  scream  of  terror  did  the  poor  child  send 
forth!  The  three  brothers  screamed  manfully,  likewise, 
and  ran  to  the  shore  as  fast  as  their  legs  would  carry 
them,  with  Cadmus  at  their  head.  But  it  was  too  late. 
When  they  reached  the  margin  of  the  sand,  the  treacher 
ous  animal  was  already  far  away  in  the  wide  blue  sea* 


The  Dragon's  Teeth  145 

with  only  his  snowy  head  and  tail  emerging,  and  poor 
little  Europa  between  them,  stretching  out  one  hand 
toward  her  dear  brothers,  while  she  grasped  the  bull's 
ivory  horn  with  the  other.  And  there  stood  Cadmus, 
Phoenix,  and  Cilix,  gazing  at  this  sad  spectacle,  through 
their  tears,  until  they  could  no  longer  distinguish  the 
bull's  snowy  head  from  the  white-capped  billows  that 
seemed  to  boil  up  out  of  the  sea's  depths  around  him. 
Nothing  more  was  ever  seen  of  the  white  bull — nothing 
more  of  the  beautiful  child. 

This  was  a  mournful  story,  as  you  may  well  think,  for 
the  three  boys  to  carry  home  to  their  parents.  King 
Agenor,  their  father,  was  the  ruler  of  the  whole  country; 
but  he  loved  his  little  daughter  Europa  better  than  his 
kingdom,  or  than  all  his  other  children,  or  than  anything 
else  in  the  world.  Therefore,  when  Cadmus  and  his  two 
brothers  came  crying  home,  and  told  him  how  that  a 
white  bull  had  carried  off  their  sister,  and  swam  with  her 
over  the  sea,  the  king  was  quite  beside  himself  with  grief 
and  rage.  Although  it  was  now  twilight,  and  fast  growing 
dark,  he  bade  them  set  out  instantly  in  search  of  her. 

"Never  shall  you  see  my  face  again,"  he  cried,  "unless 
you  bring  me  back  my  little  Europa,  to  gladden  me  with 
her  smiles  and  her  pretty  ways.  Begone,  and  enter  my 
presence  no  more,  till  you  come  leading  her  by  the  hand." 

As  King  Agenor  said  this,  his  eyes  flashed  fire  (for  he 
was  a  very  passionate  king),  and  he  looked  so  terribly 
angry  that  the  poor  boys  did  not  even  venture  to  ask  for 
their  suppers,  but  slunk  away  out  of  the  palace,  and  only 
paused  on  the  steps  a  moment  to  consult  whither  they 
should  go  first.  While  they  were  standing  there,  all  in 
dismay,  their  mother,  Queen  Telephassa  (who  happened 
not  to  be  by  when  they  told  the  story  to  the  king),  came 


University  of  California  •  Berkeley 


^c^n—^t. 


/ 


Myths  That  Every  Child  Should  Know 


The  "Every  Child  Should  Know"  Books 


Poems  Every  Child  Should  Know, 
Edited  by  Mary  E.  Burt 

Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should 
Know, 

Edited  by  H.  W.  Mabie 
Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know, 

Edited  by  H.  W.  Mabie 

Songs  Every  Child  Should  Know, 
Edited  by  Dolores  Bacon 

Legends  Every  Child  Should 
Know, 

Edited  by  H.  W.  Mabie 

Heroes  Every  Child  Should 
Know, 

Edited  by  H.  W,  Mabie 

Birds  Every  Child  Should  Know, 

By  Neltje  Blanchan 


Water  Wonders  Every  Child  Should 
Know, 

By  Jean  M.  Thompson 

Famous  Stories  Every  Child  Should 
Know, 

Edited  by  H.  W.  Mabie 

Hymns  Every  Child  Should  Know, 
Edited  by  Dolores  Bacon 

Heroines  Every  Child  Should  Know, 
Co-edited  by  H.    W.  Mabie  and 
Kate  Stephens 

Essays  Every  Child  Should  Know, 

Edited  by  H.  W.  Mabie 
Prose  Every  Child  Should  Know, 

Edited  by  Mary  E.  Burt 

Pictures  Every  Child  Should  Know, 
By  Dolores  Bacon 


MEDE1A  AND  JASON  WITH  THE  GOLDEN  FLEECE 


Sec  fage 


MYTHS    EVERY    CHILD 
SHOULD  KNOW 

A  SELECTION   OF  THE  CLASSIC  MYTHS 
OF    ALL    TIMES    FOR    YOUNG    PEOPLE 

-EDITED  BY  = 

HAMILTON  WRIGHT   MABIE 


ILLUSTRATED  AND  DECORATED 
BY  BLANCHE  OSTERTAG 


NEW  YORK 

Doubleday,  Page  &  Company 
1907 


Copyright,  1905,  by 

Doubleday,  Page  &  Company 

Published,  October,  1905 

All  rights  reserved, 

including  that  of  translation  into  foreign  languages', 
including  the  Scandinavian. 


CONTENTS 

INTRODUCTION ix 

CHAPTER  PACK 

I.    THE  THREE  GOLDEN  APPLES    ...  3 

(Hawthorne's  "Wonder  Book") 

II.    THE  POMEGRANATE  SEEDS          ...          27 
(Hawthorne's  "  Tanglewood  Tales  ") 

III.  THE  CHIMERA 65 

(Hawthorne's  "Wonder  Book") 

IV.  THE  GOLDEN  TOUCH          ....          92 

(Hawthorne's  "Wonder  Book") 
V.    THE  GORGON'S  HEAD          .        .        .        .        112 

(Hawthorne's  "Wonder  Book") 
VI.    THE  DRAGON'S  TEETH        ....        140 

(Hawthorne's  "  Tanglewood  Tales  ") 
VII.    THE  MIRACULOUS  PITCHER         .        .        .        174 

(Hawthorne's  "Wonder  Book") 

VIII.    THE  PARADISE  OF  CHILDREN      ...        197 
(Hawthorne's  "Wonder  Book") 

IX.    THE  CYCLOPS 216 

(Church's  "  Stones  from  Homer") 

X.    THE  ARGONAUTS 227 

(Kingsley's  "  Greek  Heroes  ") 

XI.    THE  GIANT  BUILDER  ,        299 

("  In  Days  of  Giants  ") 

XII.  How  ODIN  LOST  His  EYE  ...        308 

("In  Days  of  Giants") 

XIII.  THE  QUEST  OF  THE  HAMMER     .        .        .        316 

("  In  Days  of  Giants  ") 

XIV.  THE  APPLES  OF  IDUN          ....        330 

("  Norse  Stories  ") 

XV.    THE  DEATH  OF  BALDER      ....        337 
("Norse  Stories") 

XVI.    THE  STAR  AND  THE  LILY  34& 

(Miss  Emerson's  "  Indian  Myths  ") 


INTRODUCTION 

IN  many  parts  of  the  country  when  the  soil  is  disturbed 
arrow  heads  are  found.  Now,  it  is  a  great  many  years 
since  arrow  heads  have  been  used,  and  they  were  never 
used  by  the  people  who  own  the  land  in  which  they  appear 
or  by  their  ancestors.  To  explain  the  presence  of  these 
roughly  cut  pieces  of  stone  we  must  recall  the  weapons 
with  which  the  Indians  fought  when  Englishmen,  French 
men,  Dutchmen,  and  Spaniards  first  came  to  this  part  of 
the  world.  There  may  be  no  authentic  history  of  Indians 
in  the  particular  locality  in  which  these  old-fashioned 
weapons  come  to  light,  but  their  presence  in  the  ground 
is  the  best  kind  of  evidence  that  Indians  once  lived  on 
these  fields  or  were  in  the  habit  of  hunting  over  them. 
In  many  parts  of  the  country  these  arrow  heads  are  turned 
up  in  great  numbers;  museums  large  and  small  are  plenti 
fully  supplied  with  them ;  and  they  form  part  of  the  record 
of  the  men  who  once  lived  here,  and  of  their  ways  of  killing 
game  and  destroying  their  enemies.  Wherever  there  are 
arrow  heads  there  have  been  Indians. 

Among  every  people  and  in  every  language  there  are 
found  stories,  superstitions,  traditions,  phrases,  which 
are  not  to  be  explained  by  the  thoughts  or  ideas  or  beliefs 
of  people  now  living;  and  the  same  stories,  superstitions, 
phrases,  are  found  among  people  as  far  apart  as  those  of 
Norway  and  Australia.  The  people  of  to-day  tell  these 
stories  or  remember  the  superstitions  or  use  the  phrases 
without  understanding  where  they  came  from  or  what 


x  Introduction 

they  meant  when  first  used.  As  the  ground  in  some  sec 
tions  is  full  of  arrow  heads  that  have  been  buried  no  one 
knows  how  many  centuries,  so  the  poetry  we  read,  the 
music  we  hear,  the  stories  told  us  when  we  are  children, 
have  come  down  from  a  time  in  the  history  of  man  so  early 
that  there  are  in  many  cases  no  other  records  or  remains 
of  it.  These  stories  vary  greatly  in  details;  they  fit  every 
climate  and  wear  the  peculiar  dress  of  every  country;  but 
it  is  easy  to  see  that  they  are  made  up  of  the  same  mate 
rials,  and  that  they  describe  the  same  persons  or  ideas  or 
things  whether  they  are  told  in  Greece  or  India  or  Norway 
or  Brittany.  Wherever  they  are  found  they  make  it  cer 
tain  that  they  come  from  a  very  remote  time  and  grew  out 
of  ideas  or  feelings  and  ways  of  looking  at  the  world  which 
a  great  many  men  shared  in  common  in  many  places. 

When  a  man  sneezes,  people  still  say  in  some  countries, 
"God  bless  you."  They  do  not  know  why  they  say  it; 
they  simply  repeat  what  they  heard  older  people  say  when 
they  were  children,  and  do  not  know  that  every  time  they 
use  these  words  they  recall  the  age  when  people  believed 
that  evil  spirits  could  enter  into  a  man,  and  that  when  a 
man  sneezed  he  expelled  one  of  these  spirits.  It  is  a  very 
old  and  widely  spread  superstition  that  when  a  dog  howls 
at  night  someone  not  far  away  is  dying  or  will  soon  die. 
Many  people  are  uncomfortable  when  they  hear  a  dog 
howling  after  dark,  not  because  they  believe  that  dogs 
have  any  knowledge  that  death  is  present  or  coming,  but 
because  their  ancestors  for  many  centuries  believed  that 
the  howling  of  a  dog  was  ominous,  and  the  habits  of  our 
ancestors  leave  deep  traces  in  our  natures. 

Now,  every  time  the  melancholy  howling  of  a  dog  at 
night  makes  a  child  uncomfortable,  he  recalls  the  old 
superstition  which  identified  the  roaring  or  wailing  of  the 


Introduction  xJ 

wind  with  a  wolf  or  dog  into  which  a  god  or  demon  had 
entered,  with  power  to  summon  the  spirits  of  men  to  fol 
low  him  as  he  rushed  along  in  the  darkness.  In  the  old 
homes  in  the  forests,  thousands  of  years  ago,  children 
crowded  about  the  open  fire  and  trembled  when  a  great 
blast  shook  the  house,  for  fear  that  the  gigantic  beast  who 
made  the  sound  would  call  them  and  they  would  be  com 
pelled  to  follow  him.  We  think  of  wind  as  air  in  motion; 
they  thought  of  it  as  the  breath  and  sound  of  some  living 
creature.  When  we  say  that  the  wind  "whistled  in  the 
keyhole,"  or  "kissed  the  flowers,"  or  "drove  the  clouds" 
before  it,  we  are  using  poetically  the  language  our  fore 
fathers  used  literally. 

We  speak  of  "the  siren  voice  of  pleasure,"  "the  blow 
of  fate,"  "the  smile  of  fortune,"  and  do  not  remember, 
often  do  not  know,  that  we  are  recalling  that  remote  past 
when  people  believed  that  there  were  Sirens  on  the  coast 
of  Crete  whose  voices  were  so  sweet  that  sailors  could  not 
resist  them  and  were  drawn  on  to  the  rocks  and  drowned; 
that  fate  was  a  terrible,  relentless,  passionless  person  with 
supreme  power  over  gods  and  men;  that  fortune  was  a 
being  who  smiled  or  frowned  as  men  smile  or  frown, 
but  whose  smile  meant  prosperity  and  her  frown 
disaster. 

There  are  few  poems  which  have  interested  children 
more  than  Robert  Browning's  "Pied  Piper  of  Hamelin." 
The  story  runs  that  long  ago,  in  the  year  1284,  the  old 
German  town  of  Hamelin  was  so  overrun  with  rats  that 
there  was  no  peace  for  the  people  living  in  it.  When 
things  were  at  their  worst  a  strange  man  appeared  in  the 
place  and  offered,  for  a  sum  of  money,  to  clear  it  of  these 
pests.  The  bargain  was  made  and  the  stranger  began  to 
pipe;  and  straightway,  from  every  nook  and  corner  in  the 


xii  Introduction 

old  town,  the  rats  came  in  swarms,  followed  him  to  the 
river  Weser  and  jumped  in  and  were  drowned. 

When  the  people  found  that  the  city  was  really  free 
from  rats  they  were  ungrateful  enough  to  say  that  the 
piper  had  used  magic,  which  was  believed  to  be  the  prac 
tice  of  the  evil  spirit,  and  refused  to  carry  out  their  part 
of  the  contract.  The  stranger  went  off  in  a  great  rage 
and  threatened  to  come  back  again  and  take  payment  in 
his  own  way.  On  St.  John's  Day,  which  was  a  time  of 
great  festivity,  he  suddenly  reappeared,  blew  a  new  and 
beguiling  air  on  his  pipe,  and  immediately  every  child 
in  the  city  felt  as  if  a  hand  had  seized  him  and  ran  pell- 
mell  after  the  musician  as  he  climbed  the  mountain,  in 
which  a  door  suddenly  opened,  and  through  that  door  all, 
save  a  lame  boy,  passed  and  were  never  seen  again. 

From  this  old  story  probably  came  the  proverb  about 
paying  the  piper;  and  it  is  one  of  many  stories  which 
turn  on  the  magical  power  of  a  voice  or  a  sound  to  draw 
men,  women,  and  children  to  their  doom.  These  very 
interesting  stories  are  not  like  the  stories  which  are  made 
up  just  to  please  people  and  help  them  pass  away  the 
time;  they  are  different  forms  of  one  story — the  story  of 
the  wind,  told  by  people  who  thought  that  the  wind  was 
not  what  we  call  a  force  but  a  person,  and  that  when  he 
called  those  who  heard  must  follow  if  he  chose;  for  "the 
piper  is  no  other  than  the  wind,  and  the  ancients  held  that 
in  the  wind  were  the  souls  of  the  dead." 

If  every  time  we  think  of  a  force  we  should  think  of  a 
person,  we  should  see  the  world  as  the  men  and  women 
who  made  the  myths  saw  it.  Everything  that  moved,  or 
made  a  sound,  or  flashed  out  light,  or  gave  out  heat  was 
a  person  to  them;  they  could  not  think  of  the  wind  rushing 
through  the  trees  or  the  storm  devastating  the  fields  with- 


Introduction  xiii 

out  imagining  someone  like  themselves,  only  more  power 
ful,  behind  the  uproar  and  destruction,  any  more  than  we 
can  see  a  lantern  moving  along  the  road  at  night  without 
thinking  instinctively  that  somebody  is  carrying  it. 

Our  idea  of  the  world  is  scientific  because  it  is  based  on 
exact  though  by  no  means  complete  knowledge;  the 
myth-makers'  idea  of  the  world  was  poetic  because,  with 
very  incomplete  knowledge,  they  could  not  imagine  how 
anything  could  be  done  unless  it  was  done  as  they  did 
things.  When  the  black  clouds  gather  on  a  summer  after 
noon  and  roll  up  the  sky  in  great,  terrifying  masses,  and 
the  lightning  flashes  from  them  and  the  crash  of  the  thun 
der  fills  the  air  and  the  rain  beats  down  the  crops,  we  feel 
as  if  we  were  in  the  laboratory  of  nature  seeing  a  wonderful 
experiment  made;  when  our  ancestors  saw  the  same  spec 
tacle  they  were  sure  that  a  great  dragon,  breathing  fire  and 
roaring  with  anger,  was  ravaging  the  earth.  As  children 
to-day  imagine  that  dolls  are  alive,  that  fairies  dance  in 
moonlit  meadows  on  summer  nights,  or  beasts  or  Indians 
make  the  sounds  in  the  woods,  so  the  people  who  made 
the  myths  filled  the  world  with  creatures  unlike  them 
selves,  but  with  something  of  human  intelligence,  feeling 
and  will. 

As  imaginative  children  personify  the  sounds  they  hear, 
so  the  men  and  women  of  an  early  time  personified  every 
thing  that  lived  or  moved  or  gave  any  sign  of  life.  They 
fiHed  the  earth,  air,  and  sea  with  imaginary  beings  who 
had  power  over  the  elements  and  affected  the  lives  of 
men.  There  were  nymphs  in  the  sea,  dryads  in  the  trees, 
kindly  or  destructive  spirits  in  the  air,  household  gods 
who  watched  over  the  home,  and  greater  gods  who  man 
aged  the  affairs  of  the  world.  When  an  intelligent  man 
finds  himself  in  new  surroundings,  he  begins  at  once  to 


xiv  Introduction 

study  them  and  try  to  understand  them.  In  every  age 
this  has  been  one  of  the  greatest  objects  of  interest  to  men, 
and  every  generation  has  endeavoured  to  explain  the 
world,  so  as  to  satisfy  not  only  its  curiosity  but  its  reason. 
The  myths  were  explanations  of  the  world  created  by  peo 
ple  who  had  not  had  time  to  study  that  world  closely  nor  to 
train  themselves  to  study  it  in  a  scientific  way.  They  saw 
the  world  with  their  imaginations  quite  as  much  as  with 
their  eyes,  and  as  they  put  persons  behind  every  kind  and 
form  of  life,  they  told  stories  about  the  world  instead  of 
making  accurate  and  matter-of-fact  reports  of  it.  The 
change  of  the  seasons  is  not  at  all  mysterious  to  us;  but 
to  the  Norsemen  it  was  a  wonderful  struggle  between  gods 
and  giants.  In  the  summer  the  gods  had  their  triumph, 
but  in  the  winter  the  giants  had  their  way.  Year  after 
year  and  century  after  century  this  terrible  warfare  went 
on  until  a  day  should  come  when,  in  a  last  great  battle, 
both  gods  and  giants  would  be  destroyed  and  a  new  heaven 
and  earth  arise.  These  same  brave  and  warlike  men 
believed  that  the  most  powerful  fighter  among  the  gods 
was  Thor,  and  that  it  was  the  swinging  and  crashing 
of  his  terrible  hammer  which  made  the  lightning  and 
thunder. 

The  sun,  which  vanquished  the  darkness,  put  out  the 
stars,  drove  the  cold  to  the  far  north,  called  back  the 
flowers,  made  the  fields  fertile,  awoke  men  from  sleep  and 
filled  them  with  courage  and  hope,  was  the  centre  of 
mythology,  and  appears  and  reappears  in  a  thousand 
stories  in  many  parts  of  the  world,  and  in  all  kinds  of  dis 
guises.  Now  he  is  the  most  beautiful  and  noble  of  the 
Greek  gods,  Apollo;  now  he  is  Odin,  with  a  single  €ye; 
now  he  is  Hercules,  the  hero,  with  his  twelve  great  labours 
for  the  good  of  men;  now  he  is  (Edipus,  who  met  the 


Introduction 


xv 


Sphinx  and  solved  her  riddle.  In  the  early  times  men 
saw  how  everything  in  the  world  about  them  drew  its 
strength  and  beauty  from  the  sun;  how  the  sun  warmed 
the  earth  and  made  the  crops  grow;  how  it  brought  glad 
ness  and  hope  and  inspiration  to  men;  and  they  made  it 
the  centre  of  the  great  world  story,  the  foremost  hero  of 
the  great  world  play.  For  the  myths  form  a  poetical  ex 
planation  of  the  earth,  the  sea,  the  sky,  and  of  the  life  of 
man  in  this  wonderful  universe,  and  each  great  myth  was 
a  chapter  in  a  story  which  endowed  day  and  night,  sum 
mer  and  winter,  sun,  moon,  stars,  winds,  clouds,  foe,  with 
life,  and  made  them  actors  in  the  mysterious  drama  of  the 
world.  Our  Norse  forefathers  thought  of  themselves 
always  as  looking  on  at  a  terrible  fight  between  the  gods, 
who  were  light  and  heat  and  fruitfulness,  revealed  hi  the 
beauty  of  day  and  the  splendour  of  summer,  and  the 
giants,  who  were  darkness,  cold  and  barrenness,  revealed 
in  the  gloom  of  night  and  the  desolation  of  winter.  To 
the  Norseman,  as  to  the  Greek,  the  Roman,  the  Hindu 
and  other  primitive  peoples,  the  world  was  the  scene  of  a 
great  struggle,  the  stage  on  which  gods,  demons, and  heroes 
were  contending  for  supremacy;  and  they  told  that  story 
in  a  thousand  different  ways.  Every  myth  is  a  chapter 
in  that  story,  and  differs  from  other  stories  and  legends 
because  it  is  an  explanation  of  something  that  happened 
in  earth,  sea,  or  sky. 

If  the  men  who  created  the  myths  had  set  to  work  to 
make  wonder  tales  as  stories  are  sometimes  made  to 
instruct  while  they  entertain  children,  they  would  have 
left  a  mass  of  very  dull  tales  which  few  people  would  have 
cared  to  read.  They  had  no  idea  of  doing  anything  so 
artificial  and  mechanical;  they  made  these  old  stories 
because  all  life  was  a  story  to  them,  full  of  splendid  or 


xvi  Introduction 

terrible  figures  moving  across  the  sky  or  through  the  sea 
and  in  the  depths  of  the  woods,  and  whichever  way  they 
looked  they  saw  or  thought  they  saw  mysterious  and 
wonderful  things  going  on.  They  were  as  much  inter 
ested  in  their  world  as  we  are  in  ours;  we  write  hundreds 
of  scientific  books  every  year  to  explain  our  world;  they 
told  hundreds  of  stories  every  year  to  explain  theirs. 

This  selection  represents  the  work  of  several  authors, 
and  does  not,  therefore,  preserve  uniformity  of  style. 
It  is  probably  better  for  the  young  reader  that  the  Greek 
Myths  should  come  from  one  hand,  and  the  Norse  Myths 
from  another.  The  classical  work  of  Hawthorne  has 
been  generously  drawn  upon.  No  change  of  any  kind 
has  been  made  in  the  text,  but  the  introductions  connect 
ing  one  myth  with  another  have  been  omitted. 

HAMILTON  WRIGHT  MABIE. 


Myths  That  Every  Child  Should  Know 


MYTHS    EVERY    CHILD    SHOULD 
KNOW 

CHAPTER  I 

THE  THREE  GOLDEN  APPLES 

DID  you  ever  hear  of  the  golden  apples  that  grew 
in  the  garden  of  the  Hesperides?  Ah,  those  were  such 
apples  as  would  bring  a  great  price,  by  the  bushel,  if 
any  of  them  could  be  found  growing  in  the  orchards 
of  nowadays!  But  there  is  not,  I  suppose,  a  graft  of 
that  wonderful  fruit  on  a  single  tree  in  the  wide  world. 
Not  so  much  as  a  seed  of  those  apples  exists  any 
longer. 

And,  even  in  the  old,  old,  half-forgotten  times,  before 
the  garden  of  the  Hesperides  was  overrun  with  weeds, 
a  great  many  people  doubted  whether  there  could  be 
real  trees  that  bore  apples  of  solid  gold  upon  their 
branches.  All  had  heard  of  them,  but  nobody  remem 
bered  to  have  seen  any.  Children,  nevertheless,  used  to 
listen,  open-mouthed,  to  stories  of  the  golden  apple  tree, 
and  resolved  to  discover  it,  when  they  should  be  big 
enough.  Adventurous  young  men,  who  desired  to  do 
a  braver  thing  than  any  of  their  fellows,  set  out  in  quest 
of  this  fruit.  Many  of  them  returned  no  more;  none  of 
them  brought  back  the  apples.  No  wonder  that  they 
found  it  impossible  to  gather  them!  It  is  said  that  there 
was  a  dragon  beneath  the  tree,  with  a  hundred  terrible 

3 


4  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

heads,  fifty  of  which  were  always  on  the  watch,  while  the 
other  fifty  slept. 

In  my  opinion  it  was  hardly  worth  running  so  much 
risk  for  the  sake  of  a  solid  golden  apple.  Had  the 
apples  been  sweet,  mellow,  and  juicy,  indeed  that  would 
be  another  matter.  There  might  then  have  been  some 
sense  in  trying  to  get  at  them,  in  spite  of  the  hundred- 
headed  dragon. 

But,  as  I  have  already  told  you,  it  was  quite  a  common 
thing  with  young  persons,  when  tired  of  too  much  peace 
and  rest,  to  go  in  search  of  the  garden  of  the  Hesperides. 
And  once  the  adventure  was  undertaken  by  a  hero  who 
had  enjoyed  very  little  peace  or  rest  since  he  came  into 
the  world.  At  the  time  of  which  I  am  going  to  speak,  he 
was  wandering  through  the  pleasant  land  of  Italy,  with 
a  mighty  club  in  his  hand,  and  a  bow  and  quiver  slung 
across  his  shoulders.  He  was  wrapt  in  the  skin  of  the 
biggest  and  fiercest  lion  that  ever  had  been  seen,  and 
which  he  himself  had  killed ;  and  though,  on  the  whole,  he 
was  kind,  and  generous,  and  noble,  there  was  a  good  deal 
of  the  lion's  fierceness  in  his  heart.  As  he  went  on  his 
way,  he  continually  inquired  whether  that  were  the 
right  road  to  the  famous  garden.  But  none  of  the  country 
people  knew  anything  about  the  matter,  and  many 
looked  as  if  they  would  have  laughed  at  the  question,  if 
the  stranger  had  not  carried  so  very  big  a  club. 

So  he  journeyed  on  and  on,  still  making  the  same 
inquiry,  until,  at  last,  he  came  to  the  brink  of  a  river 
where  some  beautiful  young  women  sat  twining  wreaths 
of  flowers. 

-"Can  you  tell  me,  pretty  maidens,"  asked  the  stran 
ger,  "whether  this  is  the  right  way  to  the  garden  of  the 
Hesperides?" 


The  Three  Golden  Apples  5 

The  young  women  had  been  having  a  fine  time  together, 
weaving  the  flowers  into  wreaths,  and  crowning  one 
another's  heads.  And  there  seemed  to  be  a  kind  of  magic 
in  the  touch  of  their  fingers,  that  made  the  flowers  more 
fresh  and  dewy,  and  of  brighter  hues,  and  sweeter 
fragrance,  while  they  played  with  them,  than  even  when 
they  had  been  growing  on  their  native  stems.  But,  on 
hearing  the  stranger's  question,  they  dropped  all  their 
flowers  on  the  grass,  and  gazed  at  him  with  astonishment. 

"The  garden  of  the  Hesperides!"  cried  one.  "We 
thought  mortals  had  been  weary  of  seeking  it,  after  so 
many  disappointments.  And  pray,  adventurous  traveller, 
what  do  you  want  there?" 

"A  certain  king,  who  is  my  cousin,"  replied  he,  "has 
ordered  me  to  get  him  three  of  the  golden  apples." 

"Most  of  the  young  men  who  go  in  quest  of  these 
apples,"  observed  another  of  the  damsels,  "desire  to 
obtain  them  for  themselves,  or  to  present  them  to  some 
fair  maiden  whom  they  love.  Do  you,  then,  love  this 
king,  your  cousin,  so  very  much?" 

"Perhaps  not,"  replied  the  stranger,  sighing.  "He 
has  often  been  severe  and  cruel  to  me.  But  it  is  my 
destiny  to  obey  him." 

"And  do  you  know,"  asked  the  damsel  who  had  first 
spoken,  "that  a  terrible  dragon,  with  a  hundred  heads, 
keeps  watch  under  the  golden  apple  tree?" 

"I  know  it  well,"  answered  the  stranger,  calmly. 
"But,  from  my  cradle  upward,  it  has  been  my  business, 
and  almost  my  pastime,  to  deal  with  serpents  and 
dragons." 

The  young  women  looked  at  his  massive  club,  and 
at  the  shaggy  Kon's  skin  which  he  wore,  and  likewise 
at  his  heroic  limbs  and  figure;  and  they  whispered  to 


6  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

each  other  that  the  stranger  appeared  to  be  one  who 
might  reasonably  expect  to  perform  deeds  far  beyond 
the  might  of  other  men.  But,  then,  the  dragon  with  a 
hundred  heads!  What  mortal,  even  if  he  possessed  a 
hundred  lives,  could  hope  to  escape  the  fangs  of  such 
a  monster?  So  kind-hearted  were  the  maidens  that 
they  could  not  bear  to  see  this  brave  and  handsome 
traveller  attempt  what  was  so  very  dangerous,  and 
devote  himself,  most  probably,  to  become  a  meal  for  the 
dragon's  hundred  ravenous  mouths. 

"Go  back,"  cried  they  all — "go  back  to  your  own 
home!  Your  mother,  beholding  you  safe  and  sound, 
will  shed  tears  of  joy;  and  what  can  she  do  more,  should 
you  win  ever  so  great  a  victory?  No  matter  for  the 
golden  apples!  No  matter  for  the  king,  your  cruel 
cousin!  We  do  not  wish  the  dragon  with  the  hundred i 
heads  to  eat  YOU  up!" 

The  stranger  seemed  to  grow  impatient  at  these  re 
monstrances.  He  carelessly  lifted  his  mighty  club,  and. 
let  it  fall  upon  a  rock  that  lay  half  buried  in  the  earth,  near 
by.  With  the  force  of  that  idle  blow,  the  great  rock 
was  shattered  all  to  pieces.  It  cost  the  stranger  no  more 
effort  to  achieve  this  feat  of  a  giant's  strength  than  for 
one  of  the  young  maidens  to  touch  her  sister's  rosy 
cheek  with  a  flower. 

"Do  you  not  believe,"  said  he,  looking  at  the  damsels 
with  a  smile,  "that  such  a  blow  would  have  crushed  one 
of  the  dragon's  hundred  heads?" 

Then  he  sat  down  on  the  grass,  and  told  them  the 
story  of  his  life,  or  as  much  of  it  as  he  could  remember, 
from  the  day  when  he  was  first  cradled  in  a  warrior's 
brazen  shield.  While  he  lay  there,  two  immense  serpents 
came  gliding  over  the  floor,  and  opened  their  hideous 


The  Three  Golden  Apples  7 

Jaws  to  devour  him;  and  he,  a  baby  of  a  few  months 
old,  had  griped  one  of  the  fierce  snakes  in  each  of  his 
little  fists,  and  strangled  them  to  death.  When  he  was 
but  a  stripling,  he  had  killed  a  huge  lion,  almost  as  big 
as  the  one  whose  vast  and  shaggy  hide  he  now  wore  upon 
his  shoulders.  The  next  thing  that  he  had  done  was  to 
fight  a  battle  with  an  ugly  sort  of  monster,  called  a  hydra, 
which  had  no  less  than  nine  heads,  and  exceedingly  sharp 
teeth  in  every  one. 

"But  the  dragon  of  the  Hesperides,  you  know," 
observed  one  of  the  damsels,  "has  a  hundred  heads!" 

"Nevertheless,"  replied  the  stranger,  "I  would  rather 
fight  two  such  dragons  than  a  single  hydra.  For,  as 
fast  as  I  cut  off  a  head,  two  others  grew  in  its  place;  and, 
besides,  there  was  one  of  the  heads  that  could  not  possibly 
be  killed,  but  kept  biting  as  fiercely  as  ever,  long  after 
it  was  cut  off.  So  I  was  forced  to  bury  it  under  a  stone, 
where  it  is  doubtless  alive  to  this  very  day.  But  the 
hydra's  body,  and  its  eight  other  heads,  will  never  do  any 
further  mischief." 

The  damsels,  judging  that  the  story  was  likely  to  last 
a  good  while,  had  been  preparing  a  repast  of  bread  and 
grapes,  that  the  stranger  might  refresh  himself  in  the 
intervals  of  his  talk.  They  took  pleasure  in  helping 
him  to  this  simple  food;  and,  now  and  then,  one  of 
them  would  put  a  sweet  grape  between  her  rosy  lips,  lest 
it  should  make  him  bashful  to  eat  alone. 

The  traveller  proceeded  to  tell  how  he  had  chased  a 
very  swift  stag  for  a  twelvemonth  together,  without 
ever  stopping  to  take  breath,  and  had  at  last  caught  it 
by  the  antlers,  and  carried  it  home  alive.  And  he  had 
fought  with  a  very  odd  race  of  people,  half  horses  and 
half  ien,  and  had  put  them  all  to  death,  from  a  sense 


S  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

of  duty,  in  order  that  their  ugly  figures  might  never 
be  seen  any  more.  Besides  all  this,  he  took  to  himself 
great  credit  for  having  cleaned  out  a  stable. 

"Do  you  call  that  a  wonderful  exploit?"  asked  one 
of  the  young  maidens,  with  a  smile.  "Any  clown  in 
the  country  has  done  as  much!" 

"Had  it  been  an  ordinary  stable,"  replied  the  stranger, 
"I  should  not  have  mentioned  it.  But  this  was  so 
gigantic  a  task  that  it  would  have  taken  me  all  my 
life  to  perform  it,  if  I  had  not  luckily  thought  of  turning 
the  channel  of  a  river  through  the  stable  door.  That 
did  the  business  in  a  very  short  time!" 

Seeing  how  earnestly  his  fair  auditors  listened,  he 
next  told  them  how  he  had  shot  some  monstrous  birds, 
and  had  caught  a  wild  bull  alive  and  let  him  go  again, 
and  had  tamed  a  number  of  very  wild  horses,  and  had 
conquered  Hippolyta,  the  warlike  queen  of  the  Amazons. 
He  mentioned,  likewise,  that  he  had  taken  off  Hippolyta's 
enchanted  girdle  and  had  given  it  to  the  daughter  of  his 
cousin,  the  king. 

"Was  it  the  girdle  of  Venus,"  inquired  the  prettiest 
of  the  damsels,  "which  makes  women  beautiful?" 

"No,"  answered  the  stranger.  "It  had  formerly 
been  the  sword  belt  of  Mars;  and  it  can  only  make  the 
wearer  valiant  and  courageous." 

"An  old  sword  belt!"  cried  the  damsel,  tossing  her 
head.  "Then  I  should  not  care  about  having  it!" 

"You  are  right,"  said  the  stranger. 

Going  on  with  his  wonderful  narrative,  he  informed 
the  maidens  that  as  strange  an  adventure  as  ever  hap 
pened  was  when  he  fought  with  Geryon,  the  six-legged 
man.  This  was  a  very  odd  and  frightful  sort  of  figure, 
as  you  may  well  believe.  Any  person,  looking  at  his 


The  Three  Golden  Apples  9 

tracks  in  the  sand  or  snow,  would  suppose  that  three 
sociable  companions  had  been  walking  along  together. 
On  hearing  his  footsteps  at  a  little  distance,  it  was 
no  more  than  reasonable  to  judge  that  several  people 
must  be  coming.  But  it  was  only  the  strange  man 
Geryon  clattering  onward,  with  his  six  legs! 

Six  legs,  and  one  gigantic  body!  Certainly,  he  must 
have  been  a  very  queer  monster  to  look  at;  and,  my 
stars,  what  a  waste  of  shoe  leather! 

When  the  stranger  had  finished  the  story  of  his  ad 
ventures,  he  looked  around  at  the  attentive  faces  of 
the  maidens. 

"Perhaps  you  may  have  heard  of  me  before,"  said 
he,  modestly.  "My  name  is  Hercules!" 

"We  had  already  guessed  it,"  replied  the  maidens; 
"for  your  wonderful  deeds  are  known  all  over  the  world. 
We  do  not  think  it  strange,  any  longer,  that  you  should 
set  out  in  quest  of  the  golden  apples  of  the  Hesperides. 
Come,  sisters,  let  us  crown  the  hero  with  flowers!" 

Then  they  flung  beautiful  wreaths  over  his  stately 
head  and  mighty  shoulders,  so  that  the  lion's  skin  was 
almost  entirely  covered  with  roses.  They  took  posses 
sion  of  his  ponderous  club,  and  so  entwined  it  about 
with  the  brightest,  softest,  and  most  fragrant  blossoms 
that  not  a  finger's  breadth  of  its  oaken  substance  could 
be  seen.  It  looked  all  like  a  huge  bunch  of  flowers. 
Lastly,  they  joined  hands,  and  danced  around  him, 
chanting  words  which  became  poetry  of  their  own 
accord,  and  grew  into  a  choral  song,  in  honour  of  the 
illustrious  Hercules. 

And  Hercules  was  rejoiced,  as  any  other  hero  would 
have  been,  to  know  that  these  fair  young  girls  had  heard 
of  the  valiant  deeds  which  it  had  cost  him  so  much  toil 


io  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

and  danger  to  achieve.  But  still  he  was  not  satisfied. 
He  could  not  think  that  what  he  had  already  done  was 
worthy  of  so  much  honour,  while  there  remained  any 
bold  or  difficult  adventure  to  be  undertaken. 

"Dear  maidens,"  said  he,  when  they  paused  to  take 
breath,  "now  that  you  know  my  name,  will  you  not 
tell  me  how  I  am  to  reach  the  garden  of  the  Hesperides  ?" 

"  Ah !  must  you  go  to  soon  ?  "  they  exclaimed.  "  You — 
that  have  performed  so  many  wonders,  and  spent  such 
a  toilsome  life — cannot  you  content  yourself  to  repose  a 
little  while  on  the  margin  of  this  peaceful  river?" 

Hercules  shook  his  head. 

"I  must  depart  now,"  said  he. 

"We  will  then  give  you  the  best  directions  we  can," 
replied  the  damsels.  "You  must  go  to  the  seashore, 
and  find  out  the  Old  One,  and  compel  him  to  inform  you 
where  the  golden  apples  are  to  be  found." 

"The  Old  One!"  repeated  Hercules,  laughing  at  this 
odd  name.  "And,  pray,  who  may  the  Old  One  be?" 

"Why,  the  Old  Man  of  the  Sea,  to  be  sure!"  answered 
one  of  the  damsels.  "He  has  fifty  daughters,  whom 
some  people  call  very  beautiful;  but  we  do  not  think  it 
proper  to  be  acquainted  with  them,  because  they  have 
sea-green  hair,  and  taper  away  like  fishes.  You  must 
talk  with  this  Old  Man  of  the  Sea.  He  is  a  seafaring 
person,  and  knows  all  about  the  garden  of  the  Hesperides, 
for  it  is  situated  in  an  island  which  he  is  often  in  the 
habit  of  visiting." 

Hercules  then  asked  whereabouts  the  Old  One  was 
most  likely  to  be  met  with.  When  the  damsels  had 
informed  him,  he  thanked  them  for  all  their  kindness, 
— for  the  bread  and  grapes  with  which  they  had  fed 
him,  the  lovely  flowers  with  which  they  had  crowned 


The  Three  Golden  Apples  II 

him,  and  the  songs  and  dances  wherewith  they  had 
done  him  honour — and  he  thanked  them,  most  of  all, 
for  telling  him  the  right  way— and  immediately  set 
forth  upon  his  journey. 

But,  before  he  was  out  of  hearing,  one  of  the  maidens 
called  after  him. 

"Keep  fast  hold  of  the  Old  One,  when  you  catch 
him!"  cried  she,  smiling,  and  lifting  her  finger  to  make 
the  caution  more  impressive.  "Do  not  be  astonished 
at  anything  that  may  happen.  Only  hold  him  fast,  and 
he  will  tell  you  what  you  wish  to  know." 

Hercules  again  thanked  her,  and  pursued  his  way, 
while  the  maidens  resumed  their  pleasant  labour  of 
making  flower  wreaths.  They  talked  about  the  hero 
long  after  he  was  gone. 

"We  will  crown  him  with  the  loveliest  of  our  gar 
lands,"  said  they,  "when  he  returns  hither  with  the 
three  golden  apples,  after  slaying  the  dragon  with  a 
hundred  heads." 

Meanwhile,  Hercules  travelled  constantly  onward, 
over  hill  and  dale,  and  through  the  solitary  woods. 
Sometimes  he  swung  his  club  aloft,  and  splintered  a 
mighty  oak  with  a  downright  blow.  His  mind  was  so 
full  of  the  giants  and  monsters  with  whom  it  was  the 
business  of  his  life  to  fight,  that  perhaps  he  mistook 
the  great  tree  for  a  giant  or  a  monster.  And  so  eager 
was  Hercules  to  achieve  what  he  had  undertaken,  that 
he  almost  regretted  to  have  spent  so  much  time  with 
the  damsels,  wasting  idle  breath  upon  the  story  of  his 
adventures.  But  thus  it  always  is  with  persons  who  are 
destined  to  perform  great  things.  What  they  have  already 
done  seems  less  than  nothing.  What  they  have  taken  in 
hand  to  do  seems  worth  toil,  danger,  and  life  itself. 


12  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

Persons  who  happened  to  be  passing  through  the 
forest  must  have  been  affrighted  to  see  him  smite  the 
trees  with  his  great  club.  With  but  a  single  blow,  the 
trunk  was  riven  as  by  the  stroke  of  lightning  and  the 
broad  boughs  came  rustling  and  crashing  down. 

Hastening  forward,  without  ever  pausing  or  looking 
behind,  he  by  and  by  heard  the  sea  roaring  at  a  distance. 
At  this  sound,  he  increased  his  speed,  and  soon  came  to 
a  beach,  where  the  great  surf  waves  tumbled  themselves 
upon  the  hard  sand,  in  a  long  line  of  snowy  foam.  At 
one  end  of  the  beach,  however,  there  was  a  pleasant  spot, 
where  some  green  shrubbery  clambered  up  a  cliff,  making 
its  rocky  face  look  soft  and  beautiful.  A  carpet  of  verdant 
grass,  largely  intermixed  with  sweet-smelling  clover, 
covered  the  narrow  space  between  the  bottom  of  the  cliff 
and  the  sea.  And  what  should  Hercules  espy  there  but 
an  old  man,  fast  asleep! 

But  was  it  really  and  truly  an  old  man?  Certainly, 
at  first  sight,  it  looked  very  like  one;  but,  on  closer 
inspection,  it  rather  seemed  to  be  some  kind  of  a  creature 
that  lived  in  the  sea.  For  on  his  legs  and  arms  there 
were  scales,  such  as  fishes  have;  he  was  web-footed  and 
web-fingered,  after  the  fashion  of  a  duck;  and  his  long 
beard,  being  of  a  greenish  tinge,  had  more  the  appearance 
of  a  tuft  of  seaweed  than  of  an  ordinary  beard.  Have 
you  never  seen  a  stick  of  timber,  that  has  been  long  tossed 
about  by  the  waves,  and  has  got  all  overgrown  with 
barnacles,  and,  at  last  drifting  ashore,  seems  to  have 
been  thrown  up  from  the  very  deepest  bottom  of  the  sea. 
Well,  the  old  man  would  have  put  you  in  mind  of  just  such 
a  wave- tossed  spar!  But  Hercules,  the  instant  he  set  eyes 
on  this  strange  figure,  was  convinced  that  it  could  be  no 
other  than  the  Old  One, who  was  to  direct  him  on  his  way. 


The  Three  Golden  Apples  13 

Yes,  it  was  the  selfsame  Old  Man  of  the  Sea  whom 
the  hospitable  maidens  had  talked  to  him  about.  Thank 
ing  his  stars  for  the  lucky  accident  of  finding  the  old 
fellow  asleep,  Hercules  stole  on  tiptoe  toward  him,  and 
caught  him  by  the  arm  and  leg. 

"Tell  me,"cried  he,  before  the  Old  One  was  well  awake, 
"which  is  the  way  to  the  garden  of  the  Hesperides?" 

As  you  may  easily  imagine,  the  Old  Man  of  the  Sea 
awoke  in  a  fright.  But  his  astonishment  could  hardly 
have  been  greater  than  was  that  of  Hercules,  the  next 
moment.  For,  all  of  a  sudden,  the  Old  One  seemed  to 
disappear  out  of  his  grasp,  and  he  found  himself  holding 
a  stag  by  the  fore  and  hind  leg!  But  still  he  kept  fast 
hold.  Then  the  stag  disappeared,  and  in  its  stead  there 
was  a  sea  bird,  fluttering  and  screaming,  while  Hercules 
clutched  it  by  the  wing  and  claw!  But  the  bird  could 
not  get  away.  Immediately  afterward,  there  was  an 
ugly  three-headed  dog,  which  growled  and  barked  at 
Hercules,  and  snapped  fiercely  at  the  hands  by  which  he 
held  him!  But  Hercules  would  not  let  him  go.  In 
another  minute,  instead  of  the  three-headed  dog,  what 
should  appear  but  Geryon,  the  six-legged  man  monster, 
kicking  at  Hercules  with  five  of  his  legs,  in  order  to  get  the 
remaining  one  at  liberty!  But  Hercules  held  on.  By 
and  by,  no  Geryon  was  there,  but  a  huge  snake,  like 
one  of  those  which  Hercules  had  strangled  in  his  baby 
hood,  only  a  hundred  times  as  big;  and  it  twisted  and 
twined  about  the  hero's  neck  and  body,  and  threw  its 
tail  high  into  the  air,  and  opened  its  deadly  jaws  as  if 
to  devour  him  outright;  so  that  it  was  really  a  very 
terrible  spectacle!  But  Hercules  was  no  whit  disheart 
ened,  and  squeezed  the  great  snake  so  tightly  that  he 
soon  began  to  hiss  with  pain. 


14  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

You  must  understand  that  the  Old  Man  of  the  Sea, 
though  he  generally  looked  so  much  like  the  wave- 
beaten  figurehead  of  a  vessel,  had  the  power  of  assum 
ing  any  shape  he  pleased.  When  he  found  himself 
so  roughly  seized  by  Hercules,  he  had  been  in  hopes  of 
putting  him  into  such  surprise  and  terror,  by  these 
magical  transformations,  that  the  hero  would  be  glad 
to  let  him  go.  If  Hercules  had  relaxed  his  grasp,  the 
Old  One  would  certainly  have  plunged  down  to  the 
very  bottom  of  the  sea,  whence  he  would  not  soon  have 
given  himself  the  trouble  of  coming  up,  in  order  to  answer 
any  impertinent  questions.  Ninety-nine  people  out  of 
a  hundred,  I  suppose,  would  have  been  frightened  out 
of  their  wits  by  the  very  first  of  his  ugly  shapes,  and 
would  have  taken  to  their  heels  at  once.  For  one  of 
the  hardest  things  in  this  world  is  to  see  the  difference 
between  real  dangers  and  imaginary  ones. 

But,  as  Hercules  held  on  so  stubbornly,  and  only 
squeezed  the  Old  One  so  much  the  tighter  at  every  change 
of  shape,  and  really  put  him  to  no  small  torture,  he 
finally  thought  it  best  to  reappear  in  his  own  figure.  So 
there  he  was  again,  a  fishy,  scaly,  web-footed  sort  of 
personage,  with  something  like  a  tuft  of  seaweed  at  his 
chin. 

"Pray,  what  do  you  want  with  me?"  cried  the  Old 
One,  as  soon  as  he  could  take  breath;  for  it  is  quite  a 
tiresome  affair  to  go  through  so  many  false  shapes. 
"Why  do  you  squeeze  me  so  hard?  Let  me  go  this 
moment,  or  I  shall  begin  to  consider  you  an  extremely 
uncivil  person!" 

"My  name  is  Hercules!"  roared  the  mighty  stranger. 
"And  you  will  never  get  out  of  my  clutch  until  you  tell 
me  the  nearest  way  to  the  garden  of  the  Hesperidesl" 


The  Three  Golden  Apples  15 

When  the  old  fellow  heard  who  it  was  that  had  caught 
him,  he  saw  with  half  an  eye  that  it  would  be  necessary 
to  tell  him  everything  that  he  wanted  to  know.  The 
Old  One  was  an  inhabitant  of  the  sea,  you  must  recol 
lect,  and  roamed  about  everywhere,  like  other  sea 
faring  people.  Of  course,  he  had  often  heard  of  the 
fame  of  Hercules,  and  of  the  wonderful  things  that  he 
was  constantly  performing  in  various  parts  of  the  earth, 
and  how  determined  he  always  was  to  accomplish  what 
ever  he  undertook.  He  therefore  made  no  more  attempts 
to  escape,  but  told  the  hero  how  to  find  the  garden  of 
the  Hesperides,  and  likewise  warned  him  of  many 
difficulties  which  must  be  overcome  before  he  could 
arrive  thither. 

"You  must  go  on,  thus  and  thus,"  said  the  Old 
Man  of  the  Sea,  after  takkig  the  points  of  the  com 
pass,  "till  you  come  in  sight  of  a  very  tall  giant,  who 
holds  the  sky  on  his  shoulders.  And  the  giant,  if  he 
happens  to  be  in  the  humour,  will  tell  you  exactly  where 
the  garden  of  the  Hesperides  lies." 

"And  if  the  giant  happens  not  to  be  in  the  humour," 
remarked  Hercules,  balancing  his  club  on  the  tip  of 
his  finger,  "perhaps  I  shall  find  means  to  persuade 
him!" 

Thanking  the  Old  Man  of  the  Sea,  and  begging  his 
pardon  for  having  squeezed  him  so  roughly,  the  hero 
resumed  his  journey.  He  met  with  a  great  many  strange 
adventures,  which  would  be  well  worth  your  hearing, 
if  I  had  leisure  to  narrate  them  as  minutely  as  they 
deserve. 

It  was  in  this  journey,  if  I  mistake  not,  that  he  en 
countered  a  prodigious  giant,  who  was  so  wonderfully 
contrived  by  nature  that,  every  time  he  touched  the 


16  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

earth,  he  became  ten  times  as  strong  as  ever  he  had 
been  before.  His  name  was  Antaeus.  You  may  see, 
plainly  enough,  that  it  was  a  very  difficult  business 
to  fight  with  such  a  fellow;  for,  as  often  as  he  got  a 
knock-down  blow,  up  he  started  again,  stronger,  fiercer, 
and  abler  to  use  his  weapons  than  if  his  enemy  had 
let  him  alone.  Thus,  the  harder  Hercules  pounded 
the  giant  with  his  club,  the  further  he  seemed  from 
winning  the  victory.  I  have  sometimes  argued  with 
such  people,  but  never  fought  with  one.  The  only 
way  in  which  Hercules  found  it  possible  to  finish  the 
battle  was  by  lifting  Antaeus  off  his  feet  into  the  air, 
and  squeezing,  and  squeezing,  and  squeezing  him  until, 
finally,  the  strength  was  quite  squeezed  out  of  his  enor 
mous  body. 

When  this  affair  was  finished,  Hercules  continued  his 
travels,  and  went  to  the  land  of  Egypt,  where  he  was 
taken  prisoner,  and  would  have  been  put  to  death  if 
he  had  not  slain  the  king  of  the  country  and  made  his 
escape.  Passing  through  the  deserts  of  Africa,  and 
going  as  fast  as  he  could,  he  arrived  at  last  on  the  shore 
of  the  great  ocean.  And  here,  unless  he  could  walk 
on  the  crests  of  the  billows,  it  seemed  as  if  his  journey 
must  needs  be  at  an  end. 

Nothing  was  before  him,  save  the  foaming,  dashing, 
measureless  ocean.  But,  suddenly,  as  he  looked  toward 
the  horizon,  he  saw  something,  a  great  way  off,  which 
he  had  not  seen  the  moment  before.  It  gleamed  very 
brightly,  almost  as  you  may  have  beheld  the  round, 
golden  disc  of  the  sun,  when  it  rises  or  sets  over  the 
edge  of  the  world.  It  evidently  drew  nearer;  for, 
at  every  instant,  this  wonderful  object  became  larger 
and  more  lustrous.  At  length,  it  had  come  so  nigh 


The  Three  Golden  Apples  17 

that  Hercules  discovered  it  to  be  an  immense  cup  or 
bowl,  made  either  of  gold  or  burnished  brass.  How 
it  had  got  afloat  upon  the  sea  is  more  than  I  can  tell 
you.  There  it  was,  at  all  events,  rolling  on  the  tumultu 
ous  billows,  which  tossed  it  up  and  down,  and  heaved 
their  foamy  tops  against  its  sides,  but  without  ever 
throwing  their  spray  over  the  brim. 

"I  have  seen  many  giants,  in  my  time,"  thought 
Hercules,  "but  never  one  that  would  need  to  drink 
his  wine  out  of  a  cup  like  this!" 

And,  true  enough,  what  a  cup  it  must  have  been! 
It  was  as  large — as  large— but,  in  short,  I  am  afraid 
to  say  how  immeasurably  large  it  was.  To  speak 
within  bounds,  it  was  ten  times  larger  than  a  great 
mill  wheel;  and,  all  of  metal  as  it  was,  it  floated  over 
the  heaving  surges  more  lightly  than  an  acorn  cup 
adown  the  brook.  The  waves  tumbled  it  onward,  until 
it  grazed  against  the  shore,  within  a  short  distance  of 
the  spot  where  Hercules  was  standing. 

As  soon  as  this  happened,  he  knew  what  was  to  be 
done;  for  he  had  not  gone  through  so  many  remark 
able  adventures  without  learning  pretty  well  how  to 
conduct  himself,  whenever  anything  came  to  pass  a 
little  out  of  the  common  rule.  It  was  just  as  clear  as 
daylight  that  this  marvellous  cup  had  been  set  adrift 
by  some  unseen  power,  and  guided  hitherward,  in 
order  to  carry  Hercules  across  the  sea,  on  his  way  to 
the  garden  of  the  Hesperides.  Accordingly,  without 
a  moment's  delay,  he  clambered  over  the  brim,  and 
slid  down  on  the  inside,  where,  spreading  out  his  lion's 
skin,  he  proceeded  to  take  a  little  repose.  He  had 
scarcely  rested,  until  now,  since  he  bade  farewell  to 
the  damsels  on  the  margin  of  the  river.  The  waves 


i8  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

dashed,  with  a  pleasant  and  ringing  sound,  against  the 
circumference  of  the  hollow  cup;  it  rocked  lightly  to 
and  fro,  and  the  motion  was  so  soothing  that  it  speed 
ily  rocked  Hercules  into  an  agreeable  slumber. 

His  nap  had  probably  lasted  a  good  while,  when 
the  cup  chanced  to  graze  against  a  rock,  and,  in  con 
sequence,  immediately  resounded  and  reverberated 
through  its  golden  or  brazen  substance,  a  hundred 
times  as  loudly  as  ever  you  heard  a  church  bell.  The 
noise  awoke  Hercules,  who  instantly  started  up  and 
gazed  around  him,  wondering  whereabouts  he  was. 
He  was  not  long  in  discovering  that  the  cup  had  floated 
across  a  great  part  of  the  sea,  and  was  approaching 
the  shore  of  what  seemed  to  be  an  island.  And,  on 
that  island,  what  do  you  think  he  saw? 

No;  you  will  never  guess  it,  not  if  you  were  to  try 
fifty  thousand  times!  It  positively  appears  to  me  that 
this  was  the  most  marvellous  spectacle  that  had  ever  been 
seen  by  Hercules  in  the  whole  course  of  his  wonderful 
travels  and  adventures.  It  was  a  greater  marvel  than 
the  hydra  with  nine  heads,  which  kept  growing  twice 
as  fast  as  they  were  cut  off;  greater  than  the  six-legged 
man  monster;  greater  than  Antaeus;  greater  than  any 
thing  that  was  ever  beheld  by  anybody,  before  or  since 
the  days  of  Hercules,  or  than  anything  that  remains  to 
be  beheld  by  travellers  in  all  time  to  come.  It  was  a 
giant! 

But  such  an  intolerably  big  giant!  A  giant  as  tall 
as  a  mountain;  so  vast  a  giant  that  the  clouds  rested 
about  his  midst,  like  a  girdle,  and  hung  like  a  hoary 
beard  from  his  chin,  and  flitted  before  his  huge  eyes, 
so  that  he  could  neither  see  Hercules  nor  the  golden 
cup  in  which  he  was  voyaging.  And,  most  wonderful 


The  Three  Golden  Apples  19 

of  all,  the  giant  held  up  his  great  hands  and  appeared 
to  support  the  sky,  which,  so  far  as  Hercules  could 
discern  through  the  clouds,  was  resting  upon  his  head! 
This  does  really  seem  almost  too  much  to  believe. 

Meanwhile,  the  bright  cup  continued  to  float  onward, 
and  finally  touched  the  strand.  Just  then  a  breeze  wafted 
away  the  clouds  from  before  the  giant's  visage,  and 
Hercules  beheld  it,  with  all  its  enormous  features;  eyes 
each  of  them  as  big  as  yonder  lake,  a  nose  a  mile  long, 
and  a  mouth*  of  the  same  width.  It  was  a  countenance 
terrible  from  its  enormity  of  size,  but  disconsolate  and 
weary,  even  as  you  may  see  the  faces  of  many  people, 
nowadays,  who  are  compelled  to  sustain  burdens  above 
their  strength.  What  the  sky  was  to  the  giant,  such 
are  the  cares  of  earth  to  those  who  let  themselves  be 
weighed  down  by  them.  And  whenever  men  undertake 
what  is  beyond  the  just  measure  of  their  abilities,  they 
encounter  precisely  such  a  doom  as  had  befallen  this  poor 
giant. 

Poor  fellow!  He  had  evidently  stood  there  a  long 
while.  An  ancient  forest  had  been  growing  and  decay 
ing  around  his  feet;  and  oak  trees,  of  six  or  seven  cen 
turies  old,  had  sprung  from  the  acorn,  and  forced  them 
selves  between  his  toes. 

The  giant  now  looked  down  from  the  far  height  of 
his  great  eyes,  and,  perceiving  Hercules,  roared  out,  in 
a  voice  that  resembled  thunder,  proceeding  out  of  the 
cloud  that  had  just  flitted  away  from  his  face. 

"Who  are  you,  down  at  my  feet  there?  And  whence 
do  you  come  in  that  little  cup?" 

"I  am  Hercules!"  thundered  back  the  hero,  in  a 
voice  pretty  nearly  or  quite  as  loud  as  the  giant's  own. 
"And  I  am  seeking  for  the  garden  of  the  Hesperidesl" 


ao  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

"Ho!  ho!  ho!"  roared  the  giant,  in  a  fit  of  immense 
laughter.  "That  is  a  wise  adventure,  truly!" 

"And  why  not?"  cried  Hercules,  getting  a  little  angry 
at  the  giant's  mirth.  "Do  you  think  I  am  afraid  of  the 
dragon  with  a  hundred  heads!" 

Just  at  this  time,  while  they  were  talking  together, 
some  black  clouds  gathered  about  the  giant's  middle, 
and  burst  into  a  tremendous  storm  of  thunder  and  light 
ning,  causing  such  a  pother  that  Hercules  found  it 
impossible  to  distinguish  a  word.  Only  the  giant's 
immeasurable  legs  were  to  be  seen,  standing  up  into 
the  obscurity  of  the  tempest;  and,  now  and  then,  a 
momentary  glimpse  of  his  whole  figure,  mantled  in  a 
volume  of  mist.  He  seemed  to  be  speaking,  most  of 
the  time;  but  his  big,  deep,  rough  voice  chimed  in  with 
the  reverberations  of  the  thunder  claps,  and  rolled  away 
over  the  hills,  like  them.  Thus,  by  talking  out  of  season, 
the  foolish  giant  expended  an  incalculable  quantity  of 
breath  to  no  purpose;  for  the  thunder  spoke  quite  as 
intelligibly  as  he. 

At  last,  the  storm  swept  over  as  suddenly  as  it  had 
come.  And  there  again  was  the  clear  sky,  and  the 
weary  giant  holding  it  up,  and  the  pleasant  sunshine 
beaming  over  his  vast  height,  and  illuminating  it  against 
the  background  of  the  sullen  thunder  clouds.  So  far 
above  the  shower  had  been  his  head,  that  not  a  hair  of 
it  was  moistened  by  the  rain-drops! 

When  the  giant  could  see  Hercules  still  standing  on 
the  seashore,  he  roared  out  to  him  anew. 

"I  am  Atlas,  the  mightiest  giant  in  the  world!  And 
I  hold  the  sky  upon  my  head!" 

"So  I  see,"  answered  Hercules.  "But,  can  you 
show  me  the  way  to  the  garden  of  the  Hesperides?" 


The  Three  Golden  Apples  21 

"What  do  you  want  there?"  asked  the  giant. 

"I  want  three  of  the  golden  apples,"  shouted  Hercules, 
"for  my  cousin,  the  king." 

"There  is  nobody  but  myself,"  quoth  the  giant, 
"that  can  go  to  the  garden  of  the  Hesperides,  and  gather 
the  golden  apples.  If  it  were  not  for  this  little  business 
of  holding  up  the  sky,  I  would  make  half  a  dozen  steps 
across  the  sea  and  get  them  for  you." 

"You  are  very  kind,"  replied  Hercules,,  "And  can 
not  you  rest  the  sky  upon  a  mountain?" 

"None  of  them  are  quite  high  enough,"  said  Atlas, 
shaking  his  head.  "But  if  you  were  to  take  your  stand 
on  the  summit  of  that  nearest  one,  your  head  would  be 
pretty  nearly  on  a  level  with  mine.  You  seem  to  be  a 
fellow  of  some  strength.  What  if  you  should  take  my  bur 
den  on  your  shoulders,  while  I  do  your  errand  for  you  ?  " 

Hercules,  as  you  must  be  careful  to  remember,  was 
a  remarkably  strong  man;  and  though  it  certainly  re 
quires  a  great  deal  of  muscular  power  to  uphold  the 
sky,  yet,  if  any  mortal  could  be  supposed  capable  of 
such  an  exploit,  he  was  the  one.  Nevertheless,  it  seemed 
so  difficult  an  undertaking  that,  for  the  first  time  in  his 
life,  he  hesitated. 

"Is  the  sky  very  heavy?"  he  inquired. 

"Why,  not  particularly  so,  at  first,"  answered  the 
giant,  shrugging  his  shoulders.  "But  it  gets  to  be  a 
little  burdensome  after  a  thousand  years  I" 

"And  how  long  a  time,"  asked  the  hero,  "will  it  take 
you  to  get  the  golden  apples?" 

"Oh,  that  will  be  done  in  a  few  moments,"  cried 
Atlas.  "I  shall  take  ten  or  fifteen  miles  at  a  stride,  and 
be  at  the  garden  and  back  again  before  your  shoulders 
begin  to  ache." 


22  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

"Well,  then,"  answered  Hercules,  "I  will  climb  the 
mountain  behind  you  there  and  relieve  you  of  your 
burden." 

The  truth  is,  Hercules  had  a  kind  heart  of  his  own, 
and  considered  that  he  should  be  doing  the  giant  a 
favour  by  allowing  him  this  opportunity  for  a  ramble. 
And,  besides,  he  thought  that  it  would  be  still  more 
for  his  own  glory  if  he  could  boast  of  upholding  the 
sky,  than  merely  to  do  so  ordinary  a  thing  as  to  con 
quer  a  dragon  with  a  hundred  heads.  Accordingly, 
without  more  words,  the  sky  was  shifted  from  the  shoul 
ders  of  Atlas  and  placed  upon  those  of  Hercules. 

When  this  was  safely  accomplished,  the  first  thing 
that  the  giant  did  was  to  stretch  himself;  and  you  may 
imagine  what  a  prodigious  spectacle  he  was  then.  Next, 
he  slowly  lifted  one  of  his  feet  out  of  the  forest  that  had 
grown  up  around  it;  then,  the  other.  Then,  all  at  once, 
he  began  to  caper,  and  leap,  and  dance  for  joy  at  his 
freedom;  flinging  himself  nobody  knows  how  high  into 
the  air,  and  floundering  down  again  with  a  shock  that 
made  the  earth  tremble.  Then  he  laughed — Ho!  ho! 
ho! — with  a  thunderous  roar  that  was  echoed  from  the 
mountains,  far  and  near,  as  if  they  and  the  giant  had 
been  so  many  rejoicing  brothers.  When  his  joy  had  a 
little  subsided,  he  stepped  into  the  sea;  ten  miles  at  the 
first  stride,  which  brought  him  midleg  deep;  and  ten 
miles  at  the  second,  when  the  water  came  just  above 
his  knees;  and  ten  miles  more  at  the  third,  by  which  he 
was  immersed  nearly  to  his  waist.  This  was  the  great 
est  depth  of  the  sea. 

Hercules  watched  the  giant  as  he  still  went  onward; 
for  it  was  really  a  wonderful  sight,  this  immense  human 
form,  more  than  thirty  miles  off,  half  hidden  in  the 


The  Three  Golden  Apples  23 

ocean,  but  with  his  upper  half  as  tall,  and  misty,  and 
blue  as  a  distant  mountain.  At  last  the  gigantic  shape 
faded  entirely  out  of  view.  And  now  Hercules  began 
to  consider  what  he  should  do  in  case  Atlas  should  be 
drowned  in  the  sea,  or  if  he  were  to  be  stung  to  death 
by  the  dragon  with  the  hundred  heads,  which  guarded 
the  golden  apples  of  the  Hesperides.  If  any  such  mis 
fortune  were  to  happen,  how  could  he  ever  get  rid  of  the 
sky?  And,  by  the  by,  its  weight  began  already  to  be 
a  little  irksome  to  his  head  and  shoulders. 

"I  really  pity  the  poor  giant,"  thought  Hercules.  "If 
it  wearies  me  so  much  in  ten  minutes,  how  must  it  have 
wearied  him  in  a  thousand  years!" 

O  my  sweet  little  people,  you  have  no  idea  what  a 
weight  there  was  in  that  same  blue  sky,  which  looks 
so  soft  and  aerial  above  our  heads  1  And  there,  too, 
was  the  bluster  of  the  wind,  and  the  chill  and  watery 
clouds,  and  the  blazing  sun,  all  taking  their  turns  to 
make  Hercules  uncomfortable  1  He  began  to  be  afraid 
that  the  giant  would  never  come  back.  He  gazed 
wistfully  at  the  world  beneath  him,  and  acknowledged 
to  himself  that  it  was  a  far  happier  kind  of  life  to  be 
a  shepherd  at  the  foot  of  a  mountain  than  to  stand  on 
its  dizzy  summit  and  bear  up  the  firmament  with  his 
might  and  main.  For,  of  course,  as  you  will  easily 
understand,  Hercules  had  an  immense  responsibility 
on  his  mind,  as  well  as  a  weight  on  his  head  and  shoul 
ders.  Why,  if  he  did  not  stand  perfectly  still,  and  keep 
the  sky  immovable,  the  sun  would  perhaps  be  put  ajar! 
Or,  after  nightfall,  a  great  many  of  the  stars  might  be 
loosened  from  their  places,  and  shower  down,  like  fiery 
rain,  upon  the  people's  heads!  And  how  ashamed  would 
the  hero  be  if,  owing  to  his  unsteadiness  beneath  its 


24  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

weight,  the  sky  should  crack  and  show  a  great  fissure 
quite  across  it! 

I  know  not  how  long  it  was  before,  to  his  unspeak 
able  joy,  he  beheld  the  huge  shape  of  the  giant,  like  a 
cloud,  on  the  far-off  edge  of  the  sea.  At  his  nearer 
approach,  Atlas  held  up  his  hand,  in  which  Hercules 
could  perceive  three  magnificent  golden  apples,  as  big 
as  pumpkins,  all  hanging  from  one  branch. 

"I  am  glad  to  see  you  again,"  shouted  Hercules, 
when  the  giant  was  within  hearing.  "So  you  have  got 
the  golden  apples  ?  " 

"Certainly,  certainly,"  answered  Atlas;  "and  very 
fair  apples  they  are.  I  took  the  finest  that  grew  on 
the  tree,  I  assure  you.  Ah!  it  is  a  beautiful  spot,  that 
garden  of  Hesperides.  Yes;  and  the  dragon  with  a 
hundred  heads  is  a  sight  worth  any  man's  seeing.  After 
all,  you  had  better  have  gone  for  the  apples  yourself." 

"No  matter,"  replied  Hercules.  "You  have  had  a 
pleasant  ramble,  and  have  done  the  business  as  well  as 
I  could.  I  heartily  thank  you  for  your  trouble.  And 
now,  as  I  have  a  long  way  to  go,  and  am  rather  in  haste — 
and  as  the  king,  my  cousin,  is  anxious  to  receive  the 
golden  apples — will  you  be  kind  enough  to  take  the  sky 
off  my  shoulders  again?" 

"Why,  as  to  that,"  said  the  giant,  chucking  the  golden 
apples  into  the  air  twenty  miles  high,  or  thereabouts  and 
catching  them  as  they  came  down — "as  to  that,  my  good 
friend,  I  consider  you  a  little  unreasonable.  Cannot  I 
carry  the  golden  apples  to  the  king,  your  cousin,  much 
quicker  than  you  could?  As  His  Majesty  is  in  such  a 
hurry  to  get  them,  I  promise  you  to  take  my  longest 
strides.  And,  besides,  I  have  no  fancy  for  burdening 
myself  with  the  sky,  just  now." 


The  Three  Golden  Apples  25 

Here  Hercules  grew  impatient,  and  gave  a  great  shrug 
of  his  shoulders.  It  being  now  twilight,  you  might  have 
seen  two  or  three  stars  tumble  out  of  their  places.  Every 
body  on  earth  looked  upward  in  affright,  thinking  that 
the  sky  might  be  going  to  fall  next. 

"Oh,  that  will  never  do  I"  cried  Giant  Atlas,  with  a 
great  roar  of  laughter.  "I  have  not  let  fall  so  many  stars 
within  the  last  five  centuries.  By  the  time  you  have  stood 
there  as  long  as  I  did,  you  will  begin  to  learn  patience!" 

"What!"  shouted  Hercules,  very  wrathfully,  "do  you 
intend  to  make  me  bear  this  burden  forever?" 

"We  will  see  about  that,  one  of  these  days,"  answered 
the  giant.  "At  all  events,  you  ought  not  to  complain  if 
you  have  to  bear  it  the  next  hundred  years,  or  perhaps 
the  next  thousand.  I  bore  it  a  good  while  longer,  in 
spite  of  the  backache.  Well,  then,  after  a  thousand  years, 
if  I  happen  to  feel  in  the  mood,  we  may  possibly  shift 
about  again.  You  are  certainly  a  very  strong  man,  and 
can  never  have  a  better  opportunity  to  prove  it.  Pos 
terity  will  talk  of  you,  I  warrant  it!" 

"Pish!  a  fig  for  its  talk!"  cried  Hercules,  with  another 
hitch  of  his  shoulders.  "Just  take  the  sky  upon  your 
head  one  instant,  will  you?  I  want  to  make  a  cushion 
of  my  lion's  skin,  for  the  weight  to  rest  upon.  It  really 
chafes  me,  and  will  cause  unnecessary  inconvenience  in 
so  many  centuries  as  I  am  to  stand  here." 

"That's  no  more  than  fair,  and  I'll  do  it!"  quoth  the 
giant;  for  he  had  no  unkind  feeling  toward  Hercules, 
and  was  merely  acting  with  a  too  selfish  consideration 
of  his  own  ease.  "For  just  five  minutes,  then,  I'll  take 
back  the  sky.  Only  for  five  minutes,  recollect!  I  have 
no  idea  of  spending  another  thousand  years  as  I  spent 
the  last.  Variety  is  the  spice  of  life,  say  I." 


26  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

Ah,  the  thick-witted  old  rogue  of  a  giant!  He  threw 
down  the  golden  apples,  and  received  back  the  sky  from 
the  head  and  shoulders  of  Hercules,  upon  his  own,  where 
it  rightly  belonged.  And  Hercules  picked  up  the  three 
golden  apples,  that  were  as  big  or  bigger  than  pumpkins 
and  straightway  set  out  on  his  journey  homeward,  with 
out  paying  the  slightest  heed  to  the  thundering  tones  of 
the  giant,  who  bellowed  after  him  to  come  back.  Another 
forest  sprang  up  around  his  feet,  and  grew  ancient  there; 
and  again  might  be  seen  oak  trees,  of  six  or  seven  centuries 
old,  that  had  waxed  thus  aged  betwixt  his  enormous  toes. 

And  there  stands  the  giant  to  this  day;  or,  at  any  rate, 
there  stands  a  mountain  as  tall  as  he,  and  which  bears  his 
name;  and  when  the  thunder  rumbles  about  its  summit, 
we  may  imagine  it  to  be  the  voice  of  Giant  Atlas,  bellowing 
after  Hercules! 


CHAPTER  II 

THE  POMEGRANATE   SEEDS 

MOTHER  CERES  was  exceedingly  fond  of  her  daughter 
Proserpina,  and  seldom  let  her  go  alone  into  the  fields. 
But,  just  at  the  time  when  my  story  begins,  the  good  lady 
was  very  busy,  because  she  had  the  care  of  the  wheat, 
and  the  Indian  corn,  and  the  rye  and  barley,  and,  in 
short,  of  the  crops  of  every  kind,  all  over  the  earth;  and 
as  the  season  had  thus  far  been  uncommonly  backward, 
it  was  necessary  to  make  the  harvest  ripen  more  speedily 
than  usual.  So  she  put  on  her  turban,  made  of  poppies 
(a  kind  of  flower  which  she  was  always  noted  for  wearing) 
and  got  into  her  car  drawn  by  a  pair  of  winged  dragons, 
and  was  just  ready  to  set  off. 

"Dear  mother,"  said  Proserpina,  "I  shall  be  very 
lonely  while  you  are  away.  May  I  not  run  down  to  the 
shore,  and  ask  some  of  the  sea  nymphs  to  come  up  out  of 
the  waves  and  play  with  me?" 

"Yes,  child,"  answered  Mother  Ceres.  "The  sea 
nymphs  are  good  creatures,  and  will  never  lead  you  into 
any  harm.  But  you  must  take  care  not  to  stray  away 
from  them,  nor  go  wandering  about  the  fields  by  your 
self.  Young  girls,  without  their  mothers  to  take  care  of 
them,  are  very  apt  to  get  into  mischief." 

The  child  promised  to  be  as  prudent  as  if  she  were  a 
grown-up  woman,  and,  by  the  time  the  winged  dragons 
had  whirled  the  car  out  of  sight,  she  was  already  on  the 

27 


a8  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

shore,  calling  to  the  sea  nymphs  to  come  and  play  with 
her.  They  knew  Proserpina's  voice,  and  were  not  long 
in  showing  their  glistening  faces  and  sea-green  hair  above 
the  water,  at  the  bottom  of  which  was  their  home.  They 
brought  along  with  them  a  great  many  beautiful  shells; 
and,  sitting  down  on  the  moist  sand,  where  the  surf  wave 
broke  over  them,  they  busied  themselves  in  making  a 
necklace,  which  they  hung  round  Proserpina's  neck. 
By  way  of  showing  her  gratitude,  the  child  besought 
them  to  go  with  her  a  little  way  into  the  fields,  so  that 
they  might  gather  abundance  of  flowers,  with  which  she 
would  make  each  of  her  kind  playmates  a  wreath. 

"Oh,  no,  dear  Proserpina,"  cried  the  sea  nymphs; 
"we  dare  not  go  with  you  upon  the  dry  land.  We  are 
apt  to  grow  faint,  unless  at  every  breath  we  can  snuff 
up  the  salt  breeze  of  the  ocean.  And  don't  you  see  how 
careful  we  are  to  let  the  surf  wave  break  over  us  every 
moment  or  two,  so  as  to  keep  ourselves  comfortably 
moist  ?  If  it  were  not  for  that,  we  should  soon  look  like 
bunches  of  uprooted  seaweed  dried  in  the  sun." 

"It  is  a  great  pity,"  said  Proserpina.  "But  do  you 
wait  for  me  here,  and  I  will  run  and  gather  my  apron 
full  of  flowers,  and  be  back  again  before  the  surf  wave 
has  broken  ten  times  over  you.  I  long  to  make  you 
some  wreaths  that  shall  be  as  lovely  as  this  necklace  of 
many-coloured  shells." 

"We  will  wait,  then,"  answered  the  sea  nymphs. 
"But  while  you  are  gone,  we  may  as  well  lie  down  on  a 
bank  of  soft  sponge,  under  the  water.  The  air  to-day 
is  a  little  too  dry  for  our  comfort.  But  we  will  pop  up 
our  heads  every  few  minutes  to  see  if  you  are  coming." 

The  young  Proserpina  ran  quickly  to  a  spot  where, 
only  the  day  before,  she  had  seen  a  great  many  flowers 


The  Pomegranate  Seeds  29 

These,  however,  were  now  a  little  past  their  bloom;  and 
wishing  to  give  her  friends  the  freshest  and  loveliest 
blossoms,  she  strayed  farther  into  the  fields,  and  found 
some  that  made  her  scream  with  delight.  Never  had 
she  met  with  such  exquisite  flowers  before — violets,  so 
large  and  fragrant — roses,  with  so  rich  and  delicate  a 
blush — such  superb  hyacinths  and  such  aromatic  pinks 
— and  many  others,  some  of  which  seemed  to  be  of  new 
shapes  and  colours.  Two  or  three  times,  moreover,  she 
could  not  help  thinking  that  a  tuft  of  most  splendid 
flowers  had  suddenly  sprouted  out  of  the  earth  before 
her  very  eyes,  as  if  on  purpose  to  tempt  her  a  few  steps 
farther.  Proserpina's  apron  was  soon  filled  and  brim 
ming  over  with  delightful  blossoms.  She  was  on  the 
point  of  turning  back  in  order  to  rejoin  the  sea  nymphs, 
and  sit  with  them  on  the  moist  sands,  all  twining  wreaths 
together.  But,  a  little  farther  on,  what  should  she 
behold?  It  was  a  large  shrub,  completely  covered  with 
the  most  magnificent  flowers  in  the  world. 

"The  darlings!"  cried  Proserpina;  and  then  she 
thought  to  herself,  "I  was  looking  at  that  spot  only  a 
moment  ago.  How  strange  it  is  that  I  did  not  see  the 
flowers!" 

The  nearer  she  approached  the  shrub,  the  more  at 
tractive  it  looked,  until  she  came  quite  close  to  it;  and 
then,  although  its  beauty  was  richer  than  words  can  tell, 
she  hardly  knew  whether  to  like  it  or  not.  It  bore  above 
a  hundred  flowers  of  the  most  brilliant  hues,  and  each  dif 
ferent  from  the  others,  but  all  having  a  kind  of  resemblance 
among  themselves,  which  showed  them  to  be  sister  blos 
soms.  But  there  was  a  deep,  glossy  lustre  on  the  leaves 
of  the  shrub,  and  on  the  petals  of  the  flowers,  that  made 
Proserpina  doubt  whether  they  might  not  be  poisonous. 


30  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

To  tell  you  the  truth,  foolish  as  it  may  seem,  she  was  half 
inclined  to  turn  round  and  run  away. 

"What  a  silly  child  I  ami"  thought  she,  taking  courage. 
"It  is  really  the  most  beautiful  shrub  that  ever  sprang 
out  of  the  earth.  I  will  pull  it  up  by  the  roots,  and  carry 
it  home,  and  plant  it  in  my  mother's  garden." 

Holding  up  her  apron  full  of  flowers  with  her  left  hand, 
Proserpina  seized  the  large  shrub  with  the  other,  and 
pulled  and  pulled,  but  was  hardly  able  to  loosen  the  soil 
about  its  roots.  What  a  (Jeep-rooted  plant  it  was!  Again 
the  girl  pulled  with  all  her  might,  and  observed  that  the 
earth  began  to  stir  and  crack  to  some  distance  around  the 
stem.  She  gave  another  pull,  but  relaxed  her  hold, 
fancying  that  there  was  a  rumbling  sound  right  beneath 
her  feet.  Did  the  roots  extend  down  into  some  enchanted 
cavern?  Then,  laughing  at  herself  for  so  childish  a 
notion,  she  made  another  effort;  up  came  the  shrub, 
and  Proserpina  staggered  back,  holding  the  stem  triumph 
antly  in  her  hand,  and  gazing  at  the  deep  hole  which  its 
roots  had  left  in  the  soil. 

Much  to  her  astonishment,  this  hole  kept  spreading 
wider  and  wider,  and  growing  deeper  and  deeper,  until  it 
really  seemed  to  have  no  bottom;  and  all  the  while,  there 
came  a  rumbling  noise  out  of  its  depths,  louder  and 
louder,  and  nearer  and  nearer,  and  sounding  like  the 
tramp  of  horses'  hoofs  and  the  rattling  of  wheels.  Too 
much  frightened  to  run  away,  she  stood  straining  her 
eyes  into  this  wonderful  cavity,  and  soon  saw  a  team  of 
four  sable  horses,  snorting  smoke  out  of  their  nostrils, 
and  tearing  their  way  out  of  the  earth  with  a  splendid 
golden  chariot  whirling  at  their  heels.  They  leaped  out 
of  the  bottomless  hole,  chariot  and  all;  and  there  they 
were,  tossing  their  black  manes,  flourishing  their  black 


The  Pomegranate  Seeds  31 

tails,  and  curveting  with  every  one  of  their  hoofs  off  the 
ground  at  once,  close  by  the  spot  where  Proserpina  stood. 
In  the  chariot  sat  the  figure  of  a  man,  richly  dressed,  with 
a  crown  on  his  head,  all  flaming  with  diamonds.  He 
was  of  a  noble  aspect,  and  rather  handsome,  but  looked 
sullen  and  discontented;  and  he  kept  rubbing  his  eyes 
and  shading  them  with  his  hand,  as  if  he  did  not  live 
enough  in  the  sunshine  to  be  very  fond  of  its  light. 

As  soon  as  this  personage  saw  the  affrighted  Proserpina, 
he  beckoned  her  to  come  a  little  nearer. 

"Do  not  be  afraid,"  said  he,  with  as  cheerful  a  smile  as 
he  knew  how  to  put  on.  "Come!  Will  not  you  like  to 
ride  a  little  way  with  me,  in  my  beautiful  chariot?" 

But  Proserpina  was  so  alarmed  that  she  wished  for 
nothing  but  to  get  out  of  his  reach.  And  no  wonder. 
The  stranger  did  not  look  remarkably  good-natured,  in 
spite  of  his  smile;  and  as  for  his  voice,  its  tones  were  deep 
and  stern,  and  sounded  as  much  like  the  rumbling  of  an 
earthquake  under  ground  as  anything  else.  As  is  always 
the  case  with  children  in  trouble,  Proserpina's  first  thought 
was  to  call  for  her  mother. 

"Mother,  Mother  Ceres!"  cried  she,  all  in  a  tremble. 
"Come  quickly  and  save  me." 

But  her  voice  was  too  faint  for  her  mother  to  hear. 
Indeed,  it  is  most  probable  that  Ceres  was  then  a  thou 
sand  miles  off,  making  the  corn  grow  in  some  far-distant 
country.  Nor  could  it  have  availed  her  poor  daughter, 
even  had  she  been  within  hearing;  for  no  sooner  did 
Proserpina  begin  to  cry  out  than  the  stranger  leaped  to 
the  ground,  caught  the  child  in  his  arms,  and  again  mount 
ing  the  chariot,  shook  the  reins,  and  shouted  to  the  four 
black  horses  to  set  off.  They  immediately  broke  into  so 
swift  a  gallop  that  it  seemed  rather  like  flying  through  the 


32  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

air  than  running  along  the  earth.  In  a  moment,  Proser 
pina  lost  sight  of  the  pleasant  vale  of  Enna,  in  which  she 
had  always  dwelt.  Another  instant,  and  even  the  sum 
mit  of  Mount  ^Etna  had  become  so  blue  in  the  distance 
that  she  could  scarcely  distinguish  it  from  the  smoke  that 
gushed  out  of  its  crater.  But  still  the  poor  child  screamed 
and  scattered  her  apron  full  of  flowers  along  the  way,  and 
and  left  a  long  cry  trailing  behind  the  chariot;  and  many 
mothers,  to  whose  ears  it  came,  ran  quickly  to  see  if  any 
mischief  had  befallen  their  children.  But  Mother  Ceres 
was  a  great  way  off,  and  could  not  hear  the  cry. 

As  they  rode  on,  the  stranger  did  his  best  to  soothe  her. 

"Why  should  you  be  so  frightened,  my  pretty  child?" 
said  he,  trying  to  soften  his  rough  voice.  "I  promise 
not  to  do  you  any  harm.  What!  You  have  been  gather 
ing  flowers  ?  Wait  till  we  come  to  my  palace,  and  I  will 
give  you  a  garden  full  of  prettier  flowers  than  those,  all 
made  of  pearls,  and  diamonds,  and  rubies.  Can  you 
guess  who  I  am?  They  call  my  name  Pluto,  and  I  am 
the  king  of  diamonds  and  all  other  precious  stones. 
Every  atom  of  the  gold  and  silver  that  lies  under  the  earth 
belongs  to  me,  to  say  nothing  of  the  copper  and  iron,  and 
of  the  coal  mines,  which  supply  me  with  abundance  of 
fuel.  Do  you  see  this  splendid  crown  upon  my  head? 
You  may  have  it  for  a  plaything.  Oh,  we  shall  be  very 
good  friends,  and  you  will  find  me  more  agreeable  than 
you  expect,  when  once  we  get  out  of  this  troublesome  sun 
shine." 

"Let  me  go  home  I"  cried  Proserpina — "let  me  go 
home!" 

"My  home  is  better  than  your  mother's,"  answered 
King  Pluto.  "It  is  a  palace,  all  made  of  gold,  with 
crystal  windows;  and  because  there  is  little  or  no  sun- 


The  Pomegranate  Seeds  33 

shine  thereabouts,  the  apartments  are  illuminated  with 
diamond  lamps.  You  never  saw  anything  half  so  mag 
nificent  as  my  throne.  If  you  like,  you  may  sit  down  on 
it,  and  be  my  little  queen,  and  I  will  sit  on  the  footstool." 

"I  don't  care  for  golden  palaces  and  thrones,"  sobbed 
Proserpina.  "Oh,  my  mother,  my  mother  I  Carry  me 
back  to  my  mother!" 

But  King  Pluto,  as  he  called  himself,  only  shouted  to 
his  steeds  to  go  faster. 

"Pray  do  not  be  foolish,  Proserpina,"  said  he,  in  rather 
a  sullen  tone.  "I  offer  you  my  palace  and  my  crown, 
and  all  the  riches  that  are  under  the  earth;  and  you  treat 
me  as  if  I  were  doing  you  an  injury.  The  one  thing 
which  my  palace  needs  is  a  merry  little  maid,  to  run  up 
stairs  and  down,  and  cheer  up  the  rooms  with  her  smile. 
And  this  is  what  you  must  do  for  King  Pluto." 

"Never!"  answered  Proserpina,  looking  as  miserable 
as  she  could.  "I  shall  never  smile  again  till  you  set  me 
down  at  my  mother's  door." 

But  she  might  just  as  well  have  talked  to  the  wind  that 
whistled  past  them;  for  Pluto  urged  on  his  horses,  and 
went  faster  than  ever.  Proserpina  continued  to  cry  out, 
and  screamed  so  long  and  so  loudly  that  her  poor  little 
voice  was  almost  screamed  away;  and  when  it  was 
nothing  but  a  whisper,  she  happened  to  cast  her  eyes 
over  a  great,  broad  field  of  waving  grain — and  whom  do 
you  think  she  saw?  Whom  but  Mother  Ceres,  making 
the  corn  grow,  and  too  busy  to  notice  the  golden  chariot 
as  it  went  rattling  along.  The  child  mustered  all  her 
strength,  and  gave  one  more  scream,  but  was  out  of  sight 
before  Ceres  had  time  to  turn  her  head. 

King  Pluto  had  taken  a  road  which  now  began  to  grow 
excessively  gloomy.  It  was  bordered  on  each  side  with 


34  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

rocks  and  precipices,  between  which  the  rumbling  of  the 
chariot  wheels  was  reverbated  with  a  noise  like  rolling 
thunder.  The  trees  and  bushes  that  grew  in  the  crevices 
of  the  rocks  had  very  dismal  foliage;  and  by  and  by, 
although  it  was  hardly  noon,  the  air  became  obscured 
with  a  gray  twilight.  The  black  horses  had  rushed  along 
so  swiftly  that  they  were  already  beyond  the  limits  of  the 
sunshine.  But  the  duskier  it  grew,  the  more  did  Pluto's 
visage  assume  an  air  of  satisfaction.  After  all,  he  was 
not  an  ill-looking  person,  especially  when  he  left  off  twist 
ing  his  features  into  a  smile  that  did  not  belong  to  them. 
Proserpina  peeped  at  his  face  through  the  gathering  dusk, 
and  hoped  that  he  might  not  be  so  very  wicked  as  she  at 
first  thought  him. 

"Ah,  this  twilight  is  truly  refreshing,"  said  King  Pluto, 
"after  being  so  tormented  with  that  ugly  and  impertinent 
glare  of  the  sun.  How  much  more  agreeable  is  lamp 
light  or  torchlight,  more  particularly  when  reflected  from 
diamonds!  It  will  be  a  magnificent  sight  when  we  get 
to  my  palace." 

"Is  it  much  farther?"  asked  Proserpina.  "And  will 
you  carry  me  back  when  I  have  seen  it?" 

"We  will  talk  of  that  by  and  by,"  answered  Pluto. 
"We  are  just  entering  my  dominions.  Do  you  see  that 
tall  gateway  before  us?  When  we  pass  those  gates,  we 
are  at  home.  And  there  lies  my  faithful  mastiff  at  the 
threshold.  Cerberus!  Cerberus  1  Come  hither,  my  good 
dog!" 

So  saying,  Pluto  pulled  at  the  reins,  and  stopped 
the  chariot  right  between  the  tall,  massive  pillars  of  the 
gateway.  The  mastiff  of  which  he  had  spoken  got 
up  from  the  threshold  and  stood  on  his  hinder  legs, 
so  as  to  put  his  fore  paws  on  the  chariot  wheel.  But, 


The  Pomegranate  Seeds  35 

my  stars,  what  a  strange  dog  it  was!  Why,  he  was  a 
big,  rough,  ugly-looking  monster,  with  three  separate 
heads,  and  each  of  them  fiercer  than  the  two  others; 
but,  fierce  as  they  were,  King  Pluto  patted  them  all. 
He  seemed  as  fond  of  his  three-headed  dog  as  if  it  had 
been  a  sweet  little  spaniel  with  silken  ears  and  curly 
hair.  Cerberus,  on  the  other  hand,  was '  evidently 
rejoiced  to  see  his  master,  and  expressed  his  attachment, 
as  other  dogs  do,  by  wagging  his  tail  at  a  great  rate. 
Proserpina's  eyes  being  drawn  to  it  by  its  brisk  motion, 
she  saw  that  this  tail  was  neither  more  nor  less  than  a 
live  dragon,  with  fiery  eyes,  and  fangs  that  had  a  very 
poisonous  aspect.  And  while  the  three-headed  Cerberus 
was  fawning  so  lovingly  on  King  Pluto,  there  was  the 
dragon  tail  wagging  against  its  will,  and  looking  as 
cross  and  ill-natured  as  you  can  imagine,  on  its  own 
separate  account. 

"Will  the  dog  bite  me?"  asked  Proserpina,  shrinking 
closer  to  Pluto.  "What  an  ugly  creature  he  is!" 

"Oh,  never  fear,"  answered  her  companion.  "He 
never  harms  people,  unless  they  try  to  enter  my  dominions 
without  being  sent  for,  or  to  get  away  when  I  wish  to 
keep  them  here.  Down,  Cerberus!  Now,  my  pretty 
Proserpina,  we  will  drive  on." 

On  went  the  chariot,  and  King  Pluto  seemed  greatly 
pleased  to  find  himself  once  more  in  his  own  kingdom. 
He  drew  Proserpina's  attention  to  the  rich  veins  of 
gold  that  were  to  be  seen  among  the  rocks,  and  pointed 
to  several  places  where  one  stroke  of  a  pickaxe  would 
loosen  a  bushel  of  diamonds.  All  along  the  road,  indeed, 
there  were  sparkling  gems  which  would  have  been  of  ines 
timable  value  above  ground,  but  which  were  here  reckoned 
of  the  meaner  sort  and  hardly  worth  a  beggar's  stooping  for. 


36  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

Not  far  from  the  gateway  they  came  to  a  bridge  which 
seemed  to  be  built  of  iron.  Pluto  stopped  the  chariot, 
and  bade  Proserpina  look  at  the  stream  which  was 
gliding  so  lazily  beneath  it.  Never  in  her  life  had  she 
beheld  so  torpid,  so  black,  so  muddy  looking  a  stream: 
its  waters  reflected  no  images  of  anything  that  was  on 
the  banks,  and  it  moved  as  sluggishly  as  if  it  had  quite 
forgotten  which  way  it  ought  to  flow,  and  had  rather 
stagnate  than  flow  either  one  way  or  the  other. 

"This  is  the  river  Lethe,"  observed  King  Pluto.  "Is 
it  not  a  very  pleasant  stream  ?  " 

"I  think  it  a  very  dismal  one,"  said  Proserpina. 

"It  suits  my  taste,  however,"  answered  Pluto,  who 
was  apt  to  be  sullen  when  anybody  disagreed  with 
him.  "At  all  events,  its  water  has  one  very  excellent 
quality;  for  a  single  draught  of  it  makes  people  forget 
every  care  and  sorrow  that  has  hitherto  tormented  them. 
Only  sip  a  little  of  it,  my  dear  Proserpina,  and  you  will 
instantly  cease  to  grieve  for  your  mother,  and  will  have 
nothing  in  your  memory  that  can  prevent  your  being 
perfectly  happy  in  my  palace.  I  will  send  for  some, 
in  a  golden  goblet,  the  moment  we  arrive." 

"Oh  no,  no,  no!"  cried  Proserpina,  weeping  afresh. 
"I  had  a  thousand  times  rather  be  miserable  with  remem 
bering  my  mother,  than  be  happy  in  forgetting  her. 
That  dear,  dear  mother!  I  never,  never  will  forget 
her." 

"We  shall  see,"  said  King  Pluto.  "You  do  not 
know  what  fine  times  we  will  have  in  my  palace.  Here 
we  are  just  at  the  portal.  These  pillars  are  solid  gold, 
I  assure  you." 

He  alighted  from  the  chariot,  and  taking  Proserpina 
in  his  arms,  carried  her  up  a  lofty  flight  of  steps  into 


The  Pomegranate  Seeds  37 

the  great  hall  of  the  palace.  It  was  splendidly  illumin 
ated  by  means  of  large  precious  stones  of  various  hues, 
which  seemed  to  burn  like  so  many  lamps  and  glowed 
with  a  hundred-fold  radiance  all  through  the  vast  apart 
ment.  And  yet  there  was  a  kind  of  gloom  in  the  midst 
of  this  enchanted  light;  nor  was  there  a  single  object 
in  the  hall  that  was  really  agreeable  to  behold,  except 
the  little  Proserpina  herself,  a  lovely  child,  with  one 
earthly  flower  which  she  had  not  let  fall  from  her  hand. 
It  is  my  opinion  that  even  King  Pluto  had  never  been 
happy  in  his  palace,  and  that  this  was  the  true  reason 
why  he  had  stolen  away  Proserpina,  in  order  that  he 
might  have  something  to  love,  instead  of  cheating  his 
heart  any  longer  with  this  tiresome  magnificence.  And 
though  he  pretended  to  dislike  the  sunshine  of  the  upper 
world,  yet  the  effect  of  the  child's  presence,  bedimmed 
as  she  was  by  her  tears,  was  as  if  a  faint  and  watery 
sunbeam  had  somehow  or  other  found  its  way  into  the 
enchanted  hall. 

Pluto  now  summoned  his  domestics,  and  bade  them 
lose  no  time  in  preparing  a  most  sumptuous  banquet, 
and  above  all  things  not  to  fail  of  setting  a  golden  beaker 
of  the  water  of  Lethe  by  Proserpina's  plate. 

"I  will  neither  drink  that  nor  anything  else,"  said 
Proserpina.  "Nor  will  I  taste  a  morsel  of  food,  even 
if  you  keep  me  forever  in  your  palace." 

"I  should  be  sorry  for  that,"  replied  King  Pluto, 
patting  her  cheek;  for  he  really  wished  to  be  kind,  if 
he  had  only  known  how.  "You  are  a  spoiled  child,  I 
perceive,  my  little  Proserpina;  but  when  you  see  the 
nice  things  which  my  cook  will  make  for  you,  your  appe 
tite  will  quickly  come  again." 

Then,  sending  for  the  head  cook,  he  gave  strict  orders 


38  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

that  all  sorts  of  delicacies,  such  as  young  people  are 
usually  fond  of,  should  be  set  before  Proserpina.  He 
had  a  secret  motive  in  this;  for,  you  are  to  understand, 
it  is  a  fixed  law  that,  when  persons  are  carried  off  to 
the  land  of  magic,  if  they  once  taste  any  food  there, 
they  can  never  get  back  to  their  friends.  Now,  if  King 
Pluto  had  been  cunning  enough  to  offer  Proserpina 
some  fruit,  or  bread  and  milk  (which  was  the  simple 
fare  to  which  the  child  had  always  been  accustomed), 
it  is  very  probable  that  she  would  soon  have  been  tempted 
to  eat  it.  But  he  left  the  matter  entirely  to  his  cook, 
who,  like  all  other  cooks,  considered  nothing  fit  to  eat 
unless  it  were  rich  pastry,  or  highly  seasoned  meat,  or 
spiced  sweet  cakes — things  which  Proserpina's  mother 
had  never  given  her,  and  the  smell  of  which  quite  took 
away  her  appetite,  instead  of  sharpening  it. 

But  my  story  must  now  clamber  out  of  King  Pluto's 
dominions,  and  see  what  Mother  Ceres  has  been  about 
since  she  was  bereft  of  her  daughter.  We  had  a  glimpse 
of  her,  as  you  remember,  half  hidden  among  the  waving 
grain,  while  the  four  black  steeds  were  swiftly  whirling 
along  the  chariot  in  which  her  beloved  Proserpina  was 
so  unwillingly  borne  away.  You  recollect,  too,  the  loud 
scream  which  Proserpina  gave,  just  when  the  chariot 
was  out  of  sight. 

Of  all  the  child's  outcries,  this  last  shriek  was  the 
only  one  that  reached  the  ears  of  Mother  Ceres.  She 
had  mistaken  the  rumbling  of  the  chariot  wheels  for  a 
peal  of  thunder,  and  imagined  that  a  shower  was  com 
ing  up,  and  that  it  would  assist  her  in  making  the  corn 
grow.  But,  at  the  sound  of  Proserpina's  shriek,  she 
started,  and  looked  about  in  every  direction,  not  know 
ing  whence  it  came,  but  feeling  almost  certain  that 


The  Pomegranate  Seeds  39 

it  was  her  daughter's  voice.  It  seemed  so  unaccount 
able,  however,  that  the  girl  should  have  strayed  over 
so  many  lands  and  seas  (which  she  herself  could  not 
have  traversed  without  the  aid  of  her  winged  dragons), 
that  the  good  Ceres  tried  to  believe  that  it  must  be  the 
child  of  some  other  parent,  and  not  her  own  darling 
Proserpina  who  had  uttered  this  lamentable  cry.  Never 
theless,  it  troubled  her  with  a  vast  many  tender  fears, 
such  as  are  ready  to  bestir  themselves  in  every  mother's 
heart,  when  she  finds  it  necessary  to  go  away  from  her 
dear  children  without  leaving  them  under  the  care  of 
some  maiden  aunt,  or  other  such  faithful  guardian. 
So  she  quickly  left  the  field  in  which  she  had  been  so 
busy;  and,  as  her  work  was  not  half  done,  the  grain 
looked,  next  day,  as  if  it  needed  both  sun  and  rain,  and 
as  if  it  were  blighted  in  the  ear  and  had  something  the 
matter  with  its  roots. 

The  pair  of  dragons  must  have  had  very  nimble 
wings;  for,  in  less  than  an  hour,  Mother  Ceres  had 
alighted  at  the  door  of  her  home  and  found  it  empty. 
Knowing,  however,  that  the  child  was  fond  of  sporting 
on  the  seashore,  she  hastened  thither  as  fast  as  she  could, 
and  there  beheld  the  wet  faces  of  the  poor  sea  nymphs 
peeping  over  a  wave.  All  this  while,  the  good  creatures 
had  been  waiting  on  the  bank  of  sponge,  and,  once 
every  half-minute  or  so,  had  popped  up  their  four  heads 
above  water,  to  see  if  their  playmate  were  yet  coming 
back.  When  they  saw  Mother  Ceres,  they  sat  down 
on  the  crest  of  the  surf  wave,  and  let  it  toss  them  ashore 
at  her  feet. 

"Where  is  Proserpina?"  cried  Ceres.  "Where  is 
my  child?  Tell  me,  you  naughty  sea  nymphs,  have 
you  enticed  her  under  the  sea?" 


40  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

"Oh,  no,  good  Mother  Ceres,"  said  the  innocent  sea 
nymphs,  tossing  back  their  green  ringlets  and  looking 
her  in  the  face.  "We  never  should  dream  of  such  a 
thing.  Proserpina  has  been  at  play  with  us,  it  is  true; 
but  she  left  us  a  long  while  ago,  meaning  only  to  run 
a  little  way  upon  the  dry  land  and  gather  some  flowers 
for  a  wreath.  This  was  early  in  the  day,  and  we  have 
seen  nothing  of  her  since." 

Ceres  scarcely  waited  to  hear  what  the  nymphs  had 
to  say  before  she  hurried  off  to  make  inquiries  all  through 
the  neighbourhood.  But  nobody  told  her  anything  that 
could  enable  the  poor  mother  to  guess  what  had  become 
of  Proserpina.  A  fisherman,  it  is  true,  had  noticed 
her  little  footprints  in  the  sand,  as  he  went  homeward 
along  the  beach  with  a  basket  of  fish;  a  rustic  had  seen 
the  child  stooping  to  gather  flowers;  several  persons 
had  heard  either  the  rattling  of  chariot  wheels  or  the 
rumbling  of  distant  thunder;  and  one  old  woman,  while 
plucking  vervain  and  catnip,  had  heard  a  scream,  but 
supposed  it  to  be  some  childish  nonsense,  and  therefore 
did  not  take  the  trouble  to  look  up.  The  stupid  people  I 
It  took  them  such  a  tedious  while  to  tell  the  nothing  that 
they  knew,  that  it  was  dark  night  before  Mother  Ceres 
found  out  that  she  must  seek  her  daughter  elsewhere. 
So  she  lighted  a  torch,  and  set  forth,  resolving  never  to 
come  back  until  Proserpina  was  discovered. 

In  her  haste  and  trouble  of  mind,  she  quite  forgot 
her  car  and  the  winged  dragons;  or,  it  may  be,  she  thought 
that  she  could  follow  up  the  search  more  thoroughly  on 
foot.  At  all  events,  this  was  the  way  in  which  she 
began  her  sorrowful  journey,  holding  her  torch  before 
her,  and  looking  carefully  at  every  object  along  the  path. 
And  as  it  happened,  she  had  not  gone  far  before  she  found 


The  Pomegranate  Seeds  41 

one  of  the  magnificent  flowers  which  grew  on  the  shrub 
that  Proserpina  had  pulled  up. 

"Hal"  thought  Mother  Ceres,  examining  it  by  torch 
light.  "Here  is  mischief  in  this  flower  1  The  earth 
did  not  produce  it  by  any  help  of  mine,  nor  of  its  own 
accord.  It  is  the  work  of  enchantment,  and  is  therefore 
poisonous;  and  perhaps  it  has  poisoned  my  poor  child." 

But  she  put  the  poisonous  flower  in  her  bosom,  not 
knowing  whether  she  might  ever  find  any  other  memo 
rial  of  Proserpina. 

All  night  long,  at  the  door  of  every  cottage  and  farm 
house,  Ceres  knocked  and  called  up  the  weary  labourers 
to  inquire  if  they  had  seen  her  child;  and  they  stood, 
gaping  and  half  asleep,  at  the  threshold,  and  answered 
her  pityingly,  and  besought  her  to  come  in  and  rest. 
At  the  portal  of  every  palace,  too,  she  made  so  loud  a 
summons  that  the  menials  hurried  to  throw  open  the 
gate,  thinking  that  it  must  be  some  great  king  or  queen, 
who  would  demand  a  banquet  for  supper  and  a  stately 
chamber  to  repose  in.  And  when  they  saw  only  a  sad 
and  anxious  woman,  with  a  torch  in  her  hand  and  a 
wreath  of  withered  poppies  on  her  head,  they  spoke 
rudely,  and  sometimes  threatened  to  set  the  dogs  upon 
her.  But  nobody  had  seen  Proserpina,  nor  could  give 
Mother  Ceres  the  least  hint  which  way  to  seek  her. 
Thus  passed  the  night;  and  still  she  continued  her 
search  without  sitting  down  to  rest,  or  stopping  to  take 
food,  or  even  remembering  to  put  out  the  torch;  although 
first  the  rosy  dawn,  and  then  the  glad  light  of  the  morning 
sun,  made  its  red  flame  look  thin  and  pale.  But  I  won 
der  what  sort  of  stuff  this  torch  was  made  of;  for  it  burned 
dimly  through  the  day,  and,  at  night,  was  as  bright  as 
ever,  and  never  was  extinguished  by  the  rain  or  wind 


42  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

in  all  the  weary  days  and  nights  while  Ceres  was  seeking 
for  Proserpina. 

It  was  not  merely  of  human  beings  that  she  asked 
tidings  of  her  daughter.  In  the  woods  and  by  the 
streams  she  met  creatures  of  another  nature,  who  used, 
in  those  old  times,  to  haunt  the  pleasant  and  solitary 
places,  and  were  very  sociable  with  persons  who  under 
stood  their  language  and  customs,  as  Mother  Ceres  did. 
Sometimes,  for  instance,  she  tapped  with  her  finger 
against  the  knotted  trunk  of  a  majestic  oak;  and  imme 
diately  its  rude  bark  would  cleave  asunder,  and  forth 
would  step  a  beautiful  maiden,  who  was  the  hamadryad 
of  the  oak,  dwelling  inside  of  it,  and  sharing  its  long  life, 
and  rejoicing  when  its  green  leaves  sported  with  the 
breeze.  But  not  one  of  these  leafy  damsels  had  seen 
Proserpina.  Then,  going  a  little  farther,  Ceres  would, 
perhaps,  come  to  a  fountain  gushing  out  of  a  pebbly 
hollow  in  the  earth,  and  would  dabble  with  her  hand 
in  the  water.  Behold,  up  through  its  sandy  and  pebbly 
bed,  along  with  the  fountain's  gush,  a  young  woman 
with  dripping  hair  would  arise,  and  stand  gazing  at 
Mother  Ceres,  half  out  of  the  water,  and  undulating  up 
and  down  with  its  ever-restless  motion.  But  when  the 
mother  asked  whether  her  poor  lost  child  had  stopped 
to  drink  out  of  the  fountain,  the  naiad,  with  weeping  eyes 
(for  these  water  nymphs  had  tears  to  spare  for  every 
body's  grief),  would  answer,  "No!"  in  a  murmuring 
voice,  which  was  just  like  the  murmur  of  the  stream. 

Often,  likewise,  she  encountered  fauns,  who  looked 
like  sunburnt  country  people,  except  that  they  had  hairy 
ears,  and  little  horns  upon  their  foreheads,  and  the 
hinder  legs  of  goats,  on  which  they  gambolled  merrily 
about  the  woods  and  fields.  They  were  a  frolicsome 


The  Pomegranate  Seeds  43 

kind  of  creature,  but  grew  as  sad  as  their  cheerful  dis 
positions  would  allow  when  Ceres  inquired  for  her 
daughter,  and  they  had  no  good  news  to  tell.  But  some 
times  she  came  suddenly  upon  a  rude  gang  of  satyrs,  who 
had  faces  like  monkeys  and  horses'  tails  behind  them, 
and  who  were  generally  dancing  in  a  very  boisterous 
manner,  with  shouts  of  noisy  laughter.  When  she 
stopped  to  question  them,  they  would  only  laugh  the 
louder  and  make  new  merriment  out  of  the  lone  woman's 
distress.  How  unkind  of  those  ugly  satyrs!  And  once, 
while  crossing  a  solitary  sheep  pasture,  she  saw  a  per 
sonage  named  Pan,  seated  at  the  foot  of  a  tall  rock  and 
making  music  on  a  shepherd's  flute.  He,  too,  had  horns, 
and  hairy  ears,  and  goat's  feet;  but,  being  acquainted 
with  Mother  Ceres,  he  answered  her  question  as  civilly 
as  he  knew  how,  and  invited'her  to  taste  some  milk  and 
honey  out  of  a  wooden  bowl.  But  neither  could  Pan 
tell  her  what  had  become  of  Proserpina,  any  better  than 
the  rest  of  these  wild  people. 

And  thus  Mother  Ceres  went  wandering  about  for 
nine  long  days  and  nights,  finding  no  trace  of  Proserpina, 
unless  it  were  now  and  then  a  withered  flower;  and 
these  she  picked  up  and  put  in  her  bosom,  because  she 
fancied  that  they  might  have  fallen  from  her  poor  child's 
hand.  All  day  she  travelled  onward  through  the  hot 
sun;  and  at  night,  again,  the  flame  of  the  torch  would 
redden  and  gleam  along  the  pathway,  and  she  continued 
her  search  by  its  light,  without  ever  sitting  down  to  rest. 

On  the  tenth  day,  she  chanced  to  espy  the  mouth  of 
a  cavern,  within  which  (though  it  was  bright  noon  every 
where  else)  there  would  have  been  only  a  dusky  twi 
light;  but  it  so  happened  that  a  torch  was  burning  there. 
It  flickered,  and  struggled  with  the  duskiness,  but  could 


44  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

not  half  light  up  the  gloomy  cavern  with  all  its  melan 
choly  glimmer.  Ceres  was  resolved  to  leave  no  spot 
without  a  search;  so  she  peeped  into  the  entrance  of 
the  cave,  and  lighted  it  up  a  little  more  by  holding  her 
own  torch  before  her.  In  so  doing,  she  caught  a  glimpse 
of  what  seemed  to  be  a  woman,  sitting  on  the  brown 
leaves  of  the  last  autumn,  a  great  heap  of  which  had  been 
swept  into  the  cave  by  the  wind.  This  woman  (if 
woman  it  were)  was  by  no  means  so  beautiful  as  many 
of  her  sex;  for  her  head,  they  tell  me,  was  shaped  very 
much  like  a  dog's,  and,  by  way  of  ornament,  she  wore 
a  wreath  of  snakes  around  it.  But  Mother  Ceres,  the 
moment  she  saw  her,  knew  that  this  was  an  odd  kind 
of  a  person,  who  put  all  her  enjoyment  in  being  miser 
able,  and  never  would  have  a  word  to  say  to  other  people, 
unless  they  were  as  melancholy  and  wretched  as  she 
herself  delighted  to  be. 

"I  am  wretched  enough  now,"  thought  poor  Ceres, 
"to  talk  with  this  melancholy  Hecate,  were  she  ten 
times  sadder  than  ever  she  was  yet." 

So  she  stepped  into  the  cave,  and  sat  down  on  the 
withered  leaves  by  the  dog-headed  woman's  side.  In 
all  the  world,  since  her  daughter's  loss,  she  had  found 
no  other  companion. 

"O  Hecate,"  said  she,  "if  ever  you  lose  a  daughter, 
you  will  know  what  sorrow  is.  Tell  me,  for  pity's  sake, 
have  you  seen  my  poor  child  Proserpina  pass  by  the 
mouth  of  your  cavern?" 

"No,"  answered  Hecate,  in  a  cracked  voice,  and 
sighing  betwixt  every  word  or  two — "no,  Mother  Ceres, 
I  have  seen  nothing  of  your  daughter.  But  my  ears, 
you  must  know,  are  made  in  such  a  way  that  all  cries 
of  distress  and  affright,  all  over  the  world,  are  pretty 


The  Pomegranate  Seeds  45 

sure  to  find  their  way  to  them;  and  nine  days  ago,  as  I 
sat  in  my  cave,  making  myself  very  miserable,  I  heard 
the  voice  of  a  young  girl  shrieking  as  if  in  great  distress. 
Something  terrible  has  happened  to  the  child,  you  may 
rest  assured.  As  well  as  I  could  judge,  a  dragon,  or 
some  other  cruel  monster,  was  carrying  her  away." 

"You  kill  me  by  saying  so,"  cried  Ceres,  almost  ready 
to  faint.  "Where  was  the  sound,  and  which  way  did 
it  seem  to  go?" 

"It  passed  very  swiftly  along,"  said  Hecate,  "and, 
at  the  same  time,  there  was  a  heavy  rumbling  of  wheels 
toward  the  eastward.  I  can  tell  you  nothing  more, 
except  that,  in  my  honest  opinion,  you  will  never  see 
your  daughter  again.  The  best  advice  I  can  give  you 
is  to  take  up  your  abode  in  this  cavern,  where  we  will 
be  the  two  most  wretched  women  in  the  world." 

"Not  yet,  dark  Hecate,"  replied  Ceres.  "But  do 
you  first  come  with  your  torch,  and  help  me  to  seek 
for  my  lost  child.  And  when  there  shall  be  no  more 
hope  of  finding  her  (if  that  black  day  is  ordained  to 
come),  then,  if  you  will  give  me  room  to  fling  myself 
down,  either  on  these  withered  leaves  or  on  the  naked 
rock,  I  will  show  you  what  it  is  to  be  miserable.  But, 
until  I  know  that  she  has  perished  from  the  face  of  the 
earth,  I  will  not  allow  myself  space  even  to  grieve." 

The  dismal  Hecate  did  not  much  like  the  idea  of 
going  abroad  into  the  sunny  world.  But  then  she 
reflected  that  the  sorrow  of  the  disconsolate  Ceres  would 
be  like  a  gloomy  twilight  round  about  them  both,  let 
the  sun  shine  ever  so  brightly,  and  that  therefore  she 
might  enjoy  her  bad  spirits  quite  as  well  as  if  she  were 
to  stay  in  the  cave.  -  So  she  finally  consented  to  go,  and 
they  set  out  together,  both  carrying  torches,  although 


46  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

it  was  broad  daylight  and  clear  sunshine.  The  torch 
light  seemed  to  make  a  gloom;  so  that  the  people  whom 
they  met  along  the  road  could  not  very  distinctly  see 
their  figures;  and,  indeed,  if  they  once  caught  a  glimpse 
of  Hecate,  with  the  wreath  of  snakes  round  her  forehead, 
they  generally  thought  it  prudent  to  run  away  without 
waiting  for  a  second  glance. 

As  the  pair  travelled  along  in  this  woebegone  manner, 
a  thought  struck  Ceres. 

"There  is  one  person,"  she  exclaimed,  "who  must 
have  seen  my  poor  child,  and  can  doubtless  tell  what 
has  become  of  her.  Why  did  not  I  think  of  him  before  ? 
It  is  Phoebus." 

"What,"  said  Hecate,  "the  young  man  that  always 
sits  in  the  sunshine?  Oh,  pray  do  not  think  of  going 
near  him.  He  is  a  gay,  light,  frivolous  young  fellow, 
and  will  only  smile  in  your  face.  And  besides,  there 
is  such  a  glare  of  the  sun  about  him  that  he  will  quite 
blind  my  poor  eyes,  which  I  have  almost  wept  away 
already." 

"You  have  promised  to  be  my  companion,"  answered 
Ceres.  "Come,  let  us  make  haste,  or  the  sunshine 
will  be  gone,  and  Phoebus  along  with  it." 

Accordingly,  they  went  along  in  quest  of  Phoebus,  both 
of  them  sighing  grievously,  and  Hecate,  to  say  the  truth, 
making  a  great  deal  worse  lamentation  than  Ceres;  for 
all  the  pleasure  she  had,  you  know,  lay  in  being  miserable, 
and  therefore  she  made  the  most  of  it.  By  and  by,  after 
a  pretty  long  journey,  they  arrived  at  the  sunniest  spot 
in  the  whole  world.  There  they  beheld  a  beautiful  young 
man,  with  long,  curling  ringlets,  which  seemed  to  be  made 
of  golden  sunbeams;  his  garments  were  like  light  sum 
mer  clouds;  and  the  expression  of  his  face  was  so  exceed- 


The  Pomegranate  Seeds  47 

ingly  vivid  that  Hecate  held  her  hands  before  her  eyes, 
muttering  that  he  ought  to  wear  a  black  veil!  Phcebus 
(for  this  was  the  very  person  whom  they  were  seeking) 
had  a  lyre  in  his  hands,  and  was  making  its  chords  trem 
ble  with  sweet  music;  at  the  same  time  singing  a  most 
exquisite  song,  which  he  had  recently  composed.  For, 
besides  a  great  many  other  accomplishments,  this  young 
man  was  renowned  for  his  admirable  poetry. 

As  Ceres  and  her  dismal  companion  approached  him, 
Phcebus  smiled  on  them  so  cheerfully  that  Hecate's 
wreath  of  snakes  gave  a  spiteful  hiss,  and  Hecate  heartily 
wished  herself  back  in  her  cave.  But  as  for  Ceres,  she 
was  too  earnest  in  her  grief  either  to  know  or  care  whether 
Phcebus  smiled  or  frowned. 

"Phcebus!"  exclaimed  she,  "I  am  in  great  trouble, 
and  have  come  to  you  for  assistance.  Can  you  tell  me 
what  has  become  of  my  dear  child  Proserpina?" 

" Proserpina!  Proserpina,  did  you  call  her  name?" 
answered  Phcebus,  endeavouring  to  recollect;  for  there 
was  such  a  continual  flow  of  pleasant  ideas  in  his  mind 
that  he  was  apt  to  forget  what  had  happened  no  longer 
ago  than  yesterday.  "Ah,  yes,  I  remember  her  now.  A 
very  lovely  child,  indeed.  I  am  happy  to  tell  you,  my 
dear  madam,  that  I  did  see  the  little  Proserpina  not  many 
days  ago.  You  may  make  yourself  perfectly  easy  about 
her.  She  is  safe,  and  in  excellent  hands." 

"Oh,  where  is  my  dear  child?"  cried  Ceres,  clasping 
her  hands  and  flinging  herself  at  his  feet. 

"Why,"  said  Phcebus— and  as  he  spoke,  he  kept 
touching  his  lyre  so  as  to  make  a  thread  of  music  run  in 
and  out  among  his  words— "as  the  little  damsel  was 
gathering  flowers  (and  she  has  really  a  very  exquisite  taste 
for  flowers)  she  was  suddenly  snatched  up  by  King  Pluto 


48  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

and  carried  off  to  his  dominions.  I  have  never  been  in 
that  part  of  the  universe;  but  the  royal  palace,  I  am  told, 
is  built  in  a  very  noble  style  of  architecture,  and  of  the 
most  splendid  and  costly  materials.  Gold,  diamonds, 
pearls,  and  all  manner  of  precious  stones  will  be  your 
daughter's  ordinary  playthings.  I  recommend  to  you, 
my  dear  lady,  to  give  yourself  no  uneasiness.  Proser 
pina's  sense  of  beauty  will  be  duly  gratified,  and,  even  in 
spite  of  the  lack  of  sunshine,  she  will  lead  a  very  enviable 
life." 

"Hush!  Say  not  such  a  word!"  answered  Ceres, 
indignantly.  "What  is  there  to  gratify  her  heart  ?  What 
are  all  the  splendours  you  speak  of,  without  affection?  I 
must  have  her  back  again.  Will  you  go  with  me,  Phoebus, 
to  demand  my  daughter  of  this  wicked  Pluto  ?  " 

"Pray  excuse  me,"  replied  Phoebus,  with  an  elegant 
obeisance.  "I  certainly  wish  you  success,  and  regret 
that  my  own  affairs  are  so  immediately  pressing  that  I 
cannot  have  the  pleasure  of  attending  you.  Besides,  I 
am  not  upon  the  best  of  terms  with  King  Pluto.  To  tell 
you  the  truth,  his  three-headed  mastiff  would  never  let  me 
pass  the  gateway;  for  I  should  be  compelled  to  take  a 
sheaf  of  sunbeams  along  with  me,  and  those,  you  know, 
are  forbidden  things  in  Pluto's  kingdom." 

"Ah,  Phoebus,"  said  Ceres,  with  bitter  meaning  in  her 
words,  "you  have  a  harp  instead  of  a  heart.  Farewell." 

"Will  not  you  stay  a  moment,"  asked  Phoebus,  "and 
hear  me  turn  the  pretty  and  touching  story  of  Proserpina 
into  extemporary  verses?" 

But  Ceres  shook  her  head,  and  hastened  away,  along 
with  Hecate.  Phoebus  (who,  as  I  have  told  you,  was  an 
exquisite  poet)  forthwith  began  to  make  an  ode  about  the 
poor  mother's  grief;  and,  if  we  were  to  judge  of  his  sen- 


The  Pomegranate  Seeds  49 

sibility  by  this  beautiful  production,  he  must  have  been 
endowed  with  a  very  tender  heart.  But  when  a  poet 
gets  into  ihe  habit  of  using  his  heartstrings  to  make  chords 
for  his  lyre,  he  may  thrum  upon  them  as  much  as  he  will, 
without  any  great  pain  to  himself.  Accordingly,  though 
Phcebus  sang  a  very  sad  song,  he  was  as  merry  all  the 
while  as  were  the  sunbeams  amid  which  he  dwelt. 

Poor  Mother  Ceres  had  now  found  out  what  had  be 
come  of  her  daughter,  but  was  not  a  whit  happier  than 
before.  Her  case,  on  the  contrary,  looked  more  desper 
ate  than  ever.  As  long  as  Proserpina  was  above  ground 
there  might  have  been  hopes  of  regaining  her.  But  now, 
that  the  poor  child  was  shut  up  within  the  iron  gates  of 
the  king  of  the  mines,  at  the  threshold  of  which  lay  the 
three-headed  Cerberus,  there  seemed  no  possibility  of 
her  ever  making  her  escape.  The  dismal  Hecate,  who 
loved  to  take  the  darkest  view  of  things,  told  Ceres  that 
she  had  better  come  with  her  to  the  cavern,  and  spend 
the  rest  of  her  life  in  being  miserable.  Ceres  answered 
that  Hecate  was  welcome  to  go  back  thither  herself,  but 
that,  for  her  part,  she  would  wander  about  the  earth  in 
quest  of  the  entrance  to  King  Pluto's  dominions.  And 
Hecate  took  her  at  her  word,  and  hurried  back  to  her 
beloved  cave,  frightening  a  great  many  little  children  with 
a  glimpse  of  her  dog's  face  as  she  went. 

Poor  Mother  Ceres!  It  is  melancholy  to  think  of  her, 
pursuing  her  toilsome  way  all  alone,  and  holding  up  that 
never-dying  torch,  the  flame  of  which  seemed  an  emblem 
of  the  grief  and  hope  that  burned  together  in  her  heart. 
So  much  did  she  suffer  that,  though  her  aspect  had  been 
quite  youthful  when  her  troubles  began,  she  grew  to  look 
like  an  elderly  person  in  a  very  brief  time.  She  cared  not 
how  she  was  dressed,  nor  had  she  ever  thought  of  flinging 


50  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

away  the  wreath  of  withered  poppies  which  she  put  on 
the  very  morning  of  Proserpina's  disappearance.  She 
roamed  about  in  so  wild  a  way,  and  with  her  hair  so 
dishevelled,  that  people  took  her  for  some  distracted 
creature,  and  never  dreamed  that  this  was  Mother  Ceres, 
who  had  the  oversight  of  every  seed  which  the  husband 
man  planted.  Nowadays,  however,  she  gave  herself  no 
trouble  about  seed  time  nor  harvest,  but  left  the  farmers 
to  take  care  of  their  own  affairs,  and  the  crops  to  fade  or 
flourish,  as  the  case  might  be.  There  was  nothing,  now, 
in  which  Ceres  seemed  to  feel  an  interest,  unless  when  she 
saw  children  at  play,  or  gathering  flowers  along  the  way 
side.  Then,  indeed,  she  would  stand  and  gaze  at  them 
with  tears  in  her  eyes.  The  children,  too,  appeared  to 
have  a  sympathy  with  her  grief,  and  would  cluster  them 
selves  in  a  little  group  about  her  knees,  and  look  up 
wistfully  in  her  face;  and  Ceres,  after  giving  them 
a  kiss  all  round,  would  lead  them  to  their  homes,  and 
advise  their  mothers  never  to  let  them  stray  out  of  sight. 

"For  if  they  do,"  said  she,  "  it  may  happen  to  you,  as  it 
has  to  me,  that  the  iron-hearted  King  Pluto  will  take  a  lik 
ing  to  your  darlings,  and  snatch  them  up  in  his  chariot, 
and  carry  them  away." 

One  day,  during  her  pilgrimage  in  quest  of  the  entrance 
to  Pluto's  kingdom,  she  came  to  the  palace  of  King  Celeus, 
who  reigned  at  Eleusis.  Ascending  a  lofty  flight  of  steps, 
she  entered  the  portal,  and  found  the  royal  household  in 
very  great  alarm  about  the  queen's  baby.  The  infant, 
it  seems,  was  sickly  (being  troubled  with  its  teeth,  I  sup 
pose),  and  would  take  no  food,  and  was  all  the  time  moan 
ing  with  pain.  The  queen — her  name  was  Metanira-— 
was  desirous  of  finding  a  nurse;  and  when  she  beheld  a 
woman  of  matronly  aspect  coming  up  the  palace  steps. 


The  Pomegranate  Seeds  51 

she  thought,  in  her  own  mind,  that  here  was  the  very 
person  whom  she  needed.  So  Queen  Metanira  ran  to 
the  door,  with  the  poor  wailing  baby  in  her  arms,  and 
besought  Ceres  to  take  charge  of  it,  or,  at  least,  to  tell  her 
what  would  do  it  good. 

"Will  you  trust  the  child  entirely  to  me?"  asked  Ceres. 

"Yes,  and  gladly,  too,"  answered  the  queen,  "if  you 
will  devote  all  your  time  to  him.  For  I  can  see  that  you 
have  been  a  mother." 

"You  are  right,"  said  Ceres.  "I  once  had  a  child  of 
my  own.  Well;  I  will  be  the  nurse  of  this  poor,  sickly 
boy.  But  beware,  I  warn  you,  that  you  do  not  interfere 
with  any  kind  of  treatment  which  I  may  judge  proper 
for  him.  If  you  do  so,  the  poor  infant  must  suffer  for  his 
.mother's  folly." 

Then  she  kissed  the  child,  and  it  seemed  to  do  him 
good;  for  he  smiled  and  nestled  closely  into  her  bosom. 

So  Mother  Ceres  set  her  torch  in  a  corner  (where  it  kept 
burning  all  the  while),  and  took  up  her  abode  in  the 
palace  of  King  Celeus,  as  nurse  to  the  little  Prince  Demo- 
phoon.  She  treated  him  as  if  he  were  her  own  child, 
and  allowed  neither  the  king  nor  the  queen  to  say  whether 
he  should  be  bathed  in  warm  or  cold  water,  or  what  he 
should  eat,  or  how  often  he  should  take  the  air,  or  when 
he  should  be  put  to  bed.  You  would  hardly  believe  me, 
if  I  were  to  tell  how  quickly  the  baby  prince  got  rid  of 
his  ailments,  and  grew  fat,  and  rosy,  and  strong,  and 
how  he  had  two  rows  of  ivory  teeth  in  less  time  than  any 
other  little  fellow,  before  or  since.  Instead  of  the  palest, 
and  wretchedest,  and  puniest  imp  in  the  world  (as  his 
own  mother  confessed  him  to  be  when  Ceres  first  took 
him  in  charge),  he  was  now  a  strapping  baby,  crowing, 
laughing,  kicking  up  his  heels,  and  rolling  from  one  end 


52  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

of  the  room  to  the  other.  All  the  good  women  of  the 
neighbourhood  crowded  to  the  palace,  and  held  up  their 
hands,  in  unutterable  amazement,  at  the  beauty  and 
wholesomeness  of  this  darling  little  prince.  Their  won 
der  was  the  greater,  because  he  was  never  seen  to  taste 
any  food;  not  even  so  much  as  a  cup  of  milk. 

"Pray,  nurse,"  the  queen  kept  saying,  "how  is  it  that 
you  make  the  child  thrive  so  ? " 

"I  was  a  mother  once,"  Ceres  always  replied;  "and 
having  nursed  my  own  child,  I  know  what  other  children 
need." 

But  Queen  Metanira,  as  was  very  natural,  had  a  great 
curiosity  to  know  precisely  what  the  nurse  did  to  her  child. 
One  night,  therefore,  she  hid  herself  in  the  chamber  where 
Ceres  and  the  little  prince  were  accustomed  to  sleep. 
There  was  a  fire  in  the  chimney,  and  it  had  now  crumbled 
into  great  coals  and  embers,  which  lay  glowing  on  the 
hearth,  with  a  blaze  flickering  up  now  and  then,  and 
flinging  a  warm  and  ruddy  light  upon  the  walls.  Ceres 
sat  before  the  hearth  with  the  child  in  her  lap,  and  the  fire 
light  making  her  shadow  dance  upon  the  ceiling  overhead. 
She  undressed  the  little  prince,  and  bathed  him  all  over 
with  some  fragrant  liquid. out  of  a  vase.  The  next  thing 
she  did  was  to  rake  back  the  red  embers,  and  make  a 
hollow  place  among  them,  just  where  the  backlog  had 
been.  At  last,  while  the  baby  was  crowing,  and  clapping 
its  fat  little  hands,  and  laughing  in  the  nurse's  face  (just 
as  you  may  have  seen  your  little  brother  or  sister  do  before 
going  into  its  warm  bath),  Ceres  suddenly  laid  him,  all 
naked  as  he  was,  in  the  hollow  among  the  red-hot  embers. 
She  then  raked  the  ashes  over  him,  and  turned  quietly 
away. 

You  may  imagine,  if  you  can,  how  Queen  Metanira 


The  Pomegranate  Seeds  53 

shrieked,  thinking  nothing  less  than  that  her  dear  child 
would  be  burned  to  a  cinder.  She  burst  forth  from  her 
hiding  place,  and  running  to  the  hearth,  raked  open  the 
fire,  and  snatched  up  poor  little  Prince  Demophoon  out 
of  his  bed  of  live  coals,  one  of  which  he  was  griping  in 
each  of  his  fists.  He  immediately  set  up  a  grievous  cry, 
as  babies  are  apt  to  do  when  rudely  startled  out  of  a  sound 
sleep.  To  the  queen's  astonishment  and  joy,  she  could 
perceive  no  token  of  the  child's  being  injured  by  the  hot 
fire  in  which  he  had  lain.  She  now  turned  to  Mother 
Ceres,  and  asked  her  to  explain  the  mystery. 

"Foolish  woman,"  answered  Ceres,  "did  you  not  prom 
ise  to  intrust  this  poor  infant  entirely  to  me  ?  You  little 
know  the  mischief  you  have  done  him.  Had  you  left 
him  to  my  care,  he  would  have  grown  up  like  a  child  of 
celestial  birth,  endowed  with  superhuman  strength  and 
intelligence,  and  would  have  lived  forever.  Do  you 
imagine  that  earthly  children  are  to  become  immortal 
without  being  tempered  to  it  in  the  fiercest  heat  of  the 
fire?  But  you  have  ruined  your  own  son.  For  though 
he  will  be  a  strong  man  and  a  hero  in  his  day,  yet,  on 
account  of  your  folly,  he  will  grow  old,  and  finally  die, 
like  the  sons  of  other  women.  The  weak  tenderness  of 
his  mother  has  cost  the  poor  boy  an  immortality.  Fare 
well." 

Saying  these  words,  she  kissed  the  little  Prince  Demo 
phoon,  and  sighed  to  think  what  he  had  lost,  and  took 
her  departure  without  heeding  Queen  Metanira,  who 
entreated  her  to  remain,  and  cover  up  the  child  among 
the  hot  embers  as  often  as  she  pleased.  Poor  baby!  He 
never  slept  so  warmly  again. 

While  she  dwelt  in  the  king's  palace,  Mother  Ceres 
had  been  so  continually  occupied  with  taking  care  of  the 


54  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

young  prince  that  her  heart  was  a  little  lightened  of  its 
grief  for  Proserpina.  But  now,  having  nothing  else  to 
busy  herself  about,  she  became  just  as  wretched  as  before. 
At  length,  in  her  despair,  she  came  to  the  dreadful  reso 
lution  that  not  a  stalk  of  grain,  nor  a  blade  of  grass,  not  a 
potato,  nor  a  turnip,  nor  any  other  vegetable  that  was 
good  for  man  or  beast  to  eat,  should  be  suffered  to  grow 
until  her  daughter  were  restored.  She  even  forbade  the 
flowers  to  bloom,  lest  somebody's  heart  should  be  cheered 
by  their  beauty. 

Now,  as  not  so  much  as  a  head  of  asparagus  ever 
presumed  to  poke  itself  out  of  the  ground  without  the 
especial  permission  of  Ceres,  you  may  conceive  what 
a  terrible  calamity  had  here  fallen  upon  the  earth. 
The  husbandmen  ploughed  and  planted  as  usual; 
but  there  lay  the  rich  black  furrows,  all  as  barren  as  a 
desert  of  sand.  The  pastures  looked  as  brown  in  the 
sweet  month  of  June  as  ever  they  did  in  chill  November. 
The  rich  man's  broad  acres  and  the  cottager's  small 
garden  patch  were  equally  blighted.  Every  little  girl's 
flower  bed  showed  nothing  but  dry  stalks.  The  old 
people  shook  their  white  heads,  and  said  that  the  earth 
had  grown  aged  like  themselves,  and  was  no  longer 
capable  of  wearing  the  warm  smile  of  summer  on  its  face. 
It  was  really  piteous  to  see  the  poor,  starving  cattle  and 
sheep,  how  they  followed  behind  Ceres,  lowing  and 
bleating,  as  if  their  instinct  taught  them  to  expect  help 
from  her;  and  everybody  that  was  acquainted  with  her 
power  besought  her  to  have  mercy  on  the  human  race, 
and,  at  all  events,  to  let  the  grass  grow.  But  Mother 
Ceres,  though  naturally  of  an  affectionate  disposition,  was 
now  inexorable. 

" Never,"  said  she.    "If  the  earth  is  ever  again  to  see 


The  Pomegranate  Seeds  $$ 

any  verdure,  it  must  first  grow  along  the  path  which  my 
daughter  will  tread  in  coming  back  to  me." 

Finally,  as  there  seemed  to  be  no  other  remedy,  our 
old  friend  Quicksilver  was  sent  post  haste  to  King  Pluto, 
in  hopes  that  he  might  be  persuaded  to  undo  the  mischief 
he  had  done,  and  to  set  everything  right  again  by  giving 
up  Proserpina.  Quicksilver  accordingly  made  the  best 
of  his  way  to  the  great  gate,  took  a  flying  leap  right  over 
the  three-headed  mastiff,  and  stood  at  the  door  of  the 
palace  in  an  inconceivably  short  time.  The  servants 
knew  him  both  by  his  face  and  garb ;  for  his  short  cloak, 
and  his  winged  cap  and  shoes,  and  his  snaky  staff  had 
often  been  seen  thereabouts  in  times  gone  by.  He  re 
quested  to  be  shown  immediately  into  the  king's  presence; 
and  Pluto,  who  heard  his  voice  from  the  top  of  the  stairs, 
and  who  loved  to  recreate  himself  with  Quicksilver's 
merry  talk,  called  out  to  him  to  come  up.  And  while 
they  settle  their  business  together,  we  must  inquire  what 
Proserpina  has  been  doing  ever  since  we  saw  her  last. 

The  child  had  declared,  as  you  may  remember,  that  she 
would  not  taste  a  mouthful  of  food  as  long  as  she  should 
be  compelled  to  remain  in  King  Pluto's  palace.  How 
she  contrived  to  maintain  her  resolution,  and  at  the  same 
time  to  keep  herself  tolerably  plump  and  rosy  is  more 
than  I  can  explain;  but  some  young  ladies,  I  am  given  to 
understand,  possess  the  faculty  of  living  on  air,  and 
Proserpina  seems  to  have  possessed  it  too.  At  any  rate, 
it  was  now  six  months  since  she  left  the  outside  of  the 
earth;  and  not  a  morsel,  so  far  as  the  attendants  were 
able  to  testify,  had  yet  passed  between  her  teeth.  This 
was  the  more  creditable  to  Proserpina,  inasmuch  as  King 
Pluto  had  caused  her  to  be  tempted  day  after  day  with 
all  manner  of  sweetmeats,  and  richly  preserved  fruits, 


56  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

and  delicacies  of  every  sort,  such  as  young  people  are 
generally  most  fond  of.  But  her  good  mother  had  often 
told  her  of  the  hurtfulness  of  these  things;  and  for  that 
reason  alone,  if  there  had  been  no  other,  she  would  have 
resolutely  refused  to  taste  them. 

All  this  time,  being  of  a  cheerful  and  active  disposition, 
the  little  damsel  was  not  quite  so  unhappy  as  you  may 
have  supposed.  The  immense  palace  had  a  thousand 
rooms,  and  was  full  of  beautiful  and  wonderful  objects. 
There  was  a  never-ceasing  gloom,  it  is  true,  which  half 
hid  itself  among  the  innumerable  pillars,  gliding  before 
the  child  as  she  wandered  among  them,  and  treading 
stealthily  behind  her  in  the  echo  of  her  footsteps.  Neither 
was  all  the  dazzle  of  the  precious  stones,  which  flamed 
with  their  own  light,  worth  one  gleam  of  natural  sunshine ; 
nor  could  the  most  brilliant  of  the  many- coloured  gems, 
which  Proserpina  had  for  playthings,  vie  with  the  simple 
beauty  of  the  flowers  she  used  to  gather.  But  still, 
wherever  the  girl  went,  among  those  gilded  halls  and 
chambers,  it  seemed  as  if  she  carried  nature  and  sunshine 
along  with  her,  and  as  if  she  scattered  dewy  blossoms  on 
her  right  hand  and  on  her  left.  After  Proserpina  came, 
the  palace  was  no  longer  the  same  abode  of  stately 
artifice  and  dismal  magnificence  that  it  had  before  been. 
The  inhabitants  all  felt  this,  and  King  Pluto  more  than 
any  of  them. 

"My  own  little  Proserpina,"  he  used  to  say,  "I  wish 
you  could  like  me  a  little  better.  We  gloomy  and 
cloudy-natured  persons  have  often  as  warm  hearts  at 
bottom  as  those  of  a  more  cheerful  character.  If  you 
would  only  stay  with  me  of  your  own  accord,  it  would 
make  me  happier  than  the  possession  of  a  hundred  such 
palaces  as  this." 


The  Pomegranate  Seeds  57 

"Ah,"  said  Proserpina,  "you  should  have  tried  to 
make  me  like  you  before  carrying  me  off.  And  the 
best  thing  you  can  do  now  is  to  let  me  go  again.  Then 
I  might  remember  you  sometimes,  and  think  that  you 
were  as  kind  as  you  knew  how  to  be.  Perhaps,  too, 
one  day  or  other,  I  might  come  back,  and  pay  you  a 
visit." 

"No,  no,"  answered  Pluto,  with  his  gloomy  smile, 
"I  will  not  trust  you  for  that.  You  are  too  fond  of 
living  in  the  broad  daylight,  and  gathering  flowers. 
What  an  idle  and  childish  taste  that  is!  Are  not  these 
gems,  which  I  have  ordered  to  be  dug  for  you,  and 
which  are  richer  than  any  in  my  crown — are  they  not 
prettier  than  a  violet?" 

"Not  half  so  pretty,"  said  Proserpina,  snatching  the 
gems  from  Pluto's  hand,  and  flinging  them  to  the  other 
end  of  the  hall.  "Oh,  my  sweet  violets,  shall  I  never 
see  you  again?" 

And  then  she  burst  into  tears.  But  young  people's 
tears  have  very  little  saltness  or  acidity  in  them,  and 
do  not  inflame  the  eyes  so  much  as  those  of  grown  persons; 
so  that  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  if,  a  few  moments  after 
ward,  Proserpina  was  sporting  through  the  hall  almost 
as  merrily  as  she  and  the  four  sea  nymphs  had  sported 
along  the  edge  of  the  surf  wave.  King  Pluto  gazed  after 
her,  and  wished  that  he,  too,  was  a  child.  And  little 
Proserpina,  when  she  turned  about  and  beheld  this  great 
king  standing  in  his  splendid  hall,  and  looking  so  grand, 
and  so  melancholy,  and  so  lonesome,  was  smitten  with  a 
kind  of  pity.  She  ran  back  to  him,  and,  for  the  first 
time  in  all  her  life,  put  her  small  soft  hand  in  his. 

**I  love  you  a  little,"  whispered  she,  looking  up  in  his 
face 


58  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

"Do  you,  indeed,  my  dear  child?"  cried  Pluto,  bending 
his  dark  face  down  to  kiss  her;  but  Proserpina  shrank 
away  from  the  kiss,  for  though  his  features  were  noble, 
they  were  very  dusky  and  grim.  "Well,  I  have  not 
deserved  it  of  you,  after  keeping  you  a  prisoner  for  so 
many  months,  and  starving  you,  besides.  Are  you  not 
terribly  hungry  ?  Is  there  nothing  which  I  can  get  you  to 
eat?" 

In  asking  this  question,  the  king  of  the  mines  had  a 
very  cunning  purpose ;  for,  you  will  recollect,  if  Proserpina 
tasted  a  morsel  of  food  in  his  dominions,  she  would  never 
afterward  be  at  liberty  to  quit  them. 

"No,  indeed,"  said  Proserpina.  "Your  head  cook 
is  always  baking,  and  stewing,  and  roasting,  and  rolling 
out  paste,  and  contriving  one  dish  or  another,  which  he 
imagines  may  be  to  my  liking.  But  he  might  just  as 
well  save  himself  the  trouble,  poor,  fat  little  man  that  he 
is.  I  have  no  appetite  for  anything  in  the  world,  unless 
it  were  a  slice  of  bread  of  my  mother's  own  baking,  or  a 
little  fruit  out  of  her  garden." 

When  Pluto  heard  this,  he  began  to  see  that  he  had 
mistaken  the  best  method  of  tempting  Proserpina  to 
eat.  The  cook's  made  dishes  and  artificial  dainties 
were  not  half  so  delicious  in  the  good  child's  opinion 
as  the  simple  fare  to  which  Mother  Ceres  had  accus 
tomed  her.  Wondering  that  he  had  never  thought  of 
it  before,  the  king  now  sent  one  of  his  trusty  attendants, 
with  a  large  basket,  to  get  some  of  the  finest  and  juiciest 
pears,  peaches  and  plums  which  could  anywhere  be  found 
in  the  upper  world.  Unfortunately,  however,  this  was 
during  the  time  when  Ceres  had  forbidden  any  fruits  or 
vegetables  to  grow;  and,  after  seeking  all  over  the  earth, 
King  Pluto's  servant  found  only  a  single  pomegranate, 


The  Pomegranate  Seeds  50 

and  that  so  dried  up  as  to  be  not  worth  eating.  Never 
theless,  since  there  was  no  better  to  be  had,  he  brought 
this  dry,  old,  withered  pomegranate  home  to  the  palace, 
put  it  on  a  magnificent  golden  salver,  and  carried  it  up  to 
Proserpina.  Now  it  happened,  curiously  enough,  that, 
just  as  the  servant  was  bringing  the  pomegranate  into 
the  back  door  of  the  palace,  our  friend  Quicksilver  had 
gone  up  the  front  steps,  on  his  errand  to  get  Proserpina 
away  from  King  Pluto. 

As  soon  as  Proserpina  saw  the  pomegranate  on  the 
golden  salver,  she  told  the  servant  he  had  better  take 
it  away  again. 

"I  shall  not  touch  it,  I  assure  you,"  said  she.  "If 
I  were  ever  so  hungry,  I  should  never  think  of  eating 
such  a  miserable,  dry  pomegranate  as  that." 

"It  is  the  only  one  in  the  world,"  said  the  servant. 
He  set  down  the  golden  salver,  with  the  wizened  pome 
granate  upon  it,  and  left  the  room.  When  he  was 
gone,  Proserpina  could  not  help  coming  close  to  the 
table,  and  looking  at  this  poor  specimen  of  dried  fruit 
with  a  great  deal  of  eagerness;  for,  to  say  the  truth,  on 
seeing  something  that  suited  her  taste,  she  felt  all  the 
six  months*  appetite  taking  possession  of  her  at  once. 
To  be  sure,  it  was  a  very  wretched  looking  pomegranate, 
and  seemed  to  have  no  more  juice  in  it  than  an  oyster 
shell.  But  there  was  no  choice  of  such  things  in  King 
Pluto's  palace.  This  was  the  first  fruit  she  had  seen 
there,  and  the  last  she  was  ever  likely  to  see;  and  unless 
she  ate  it  up  immediately,  it  would  grow  drier  than  it 
already  was,  and  be  wholly  unfit  to  eat. 

"At  least,  I  may  smell  it,"  thought  Proserpina. 

So  she  took  up  the  pomegranate,  and  applied  it  to 
her  nose;  and,  somehow  or  other,  being  in  such  close 


60  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

neighbourhood  to  her  mouth,  the  fruit  found  its  way 
into  that  little  red  cave.  Dear  me!  what  an  everlasting 
pity!  Before  Proserpina  knew  what  she  was  about, 
her  teeth  had  actually  bitten  it,  of  their  own  accord.  Just 
as  this  fatal  deed  was  done,  the  door  of  the  apartment 
opened,  and  in  came  King  Pluto,  followed  by  Quicksilver, 
who  had  been  urging  him  to  let  his  little  prisoner  go. 
At  the  first  noise  of  their  entrance,  Proserpina  withdrew 
the  pomegranate  from  her  mouth.  But  Quicksilver 
(whose  eyes  were  very  keen,  and  his  wits  the  sharpest 
that  ever  anybody  had)  perceived  that  the  child  was  a 
little  confused;  and  seeing  the  empty  salver,  he  suspected 
that  she  had  been  taking  a  sly  nibble  of  something  or 
other.  As  for  honest  Pluto,  he  never  guessed  at  the 
secret. 

"My  little  Proserpina,"  said  the  king,  sitting  down, 
and  affectionately  drawing  her  between  his  knees, 
"here  is  Quicksilver,  who  tells  me  that  a  great  many 
misfortunes  have  befallen  innocent  people  on  account 
of  my  detaining  you  in  my  dominions.  To  confess 
the  truth,  I  myself  had  already  reflected  that  it  was 
an  unjustifiable  act  to  take  you  away  from  your  good 
mother.  But,  then,  you  must  consider,  my  dear  child, 
that  this  vast  palace  is  apt  to  be  gloomy  (although  the 
precious  stones  certainly  shine  very  bright),  and  that 
I  am  not  of  the  most  cheerful  disposition,  and  that 
therefore  it  was  a  natural  thing  enough  to  seek  for  the 
society  of  some  merrier  creature  than  myself.  I  hoped 
you  would  take  my  crown  for  a  plaything,  and  me — 
ah,  you  laugh,  naughty  Proserpina — me,  grim  as  I 
am,  for  a  playmate.  It  was  a  silly  expectation." 

"Not    so    extremely    silly,"    whispered    Proserpina 
"You  have  really  amused  me  very  much,  sometimes." 


The  Pomegranate  Seeds  6i 

"Thank  you,"  said  King  Pluto,  rather  dryly.  "But 
I  can  see,  plainly  enough,  that  you  think  my  palace  a 
dusky  prison,  and  me  the  iron-hearted  keeper  of  it. 
And  an  iron  heart  I  should  surely  have,  if  I  could  detain 
you  here  any  longer,  my  poor  child,  when  it  is  now  six 
months  since  you  tasted  food.  I  give  you  your  liberty. 
Go  with  Quicksilver.  Hasten  home  to  your  dear 
mother." 

Now,  although  you  may  not  have  supposed  it,  Proser 
pina  found  it  impossible  to  take  leave  of  poor  King 
Pluto  without  some  regrets,  and  a  good  deal  of  com 
punction  for  not  telling  him  about  the  pomegranate. 
She  even  shed  a  tear  or  two,  thinking  how  lonely  and 
cheerless  the  great  palace  would  seem  to  him,  with  all 
its  ugly  glare  of  artificial  light,  after  she  herself — his 
one  little  ray  of  natural  sunshine,  whom  he  had  stolen, 
to  be  sure,  but  only  because  he  valued  her  so  much — 
after  she  should  have  departed.  I  know  not  how 
many  kind  things  she  might  have  said  to  the  disconsolate 
king  of  the  mines,  had  not  Quicksilver  hurried  her  away. 

"Come  along  quickly,"  whispered  he  in  her  ear,  "or 
His  Majesty  may  change  his  royal  mind.  And  take 
care,  above  all  things,  that  you  say  nothing  of  what 
was  brought  you  on  the  golden  salver." 

In  a  very  short  time  they  had  passed  the  great  gate 
way  (leaving  the  three-headed  Cerberus  barking,  and 
yelping,  and  growling,  with  threefold  din,  behind  them), 
and  emerged  upon  the  surface  of  the  earth.  It  was 
delightful  to  behold,  as  Proserpina  hastened  along,  how 
the  path  grew  verdant  behind  and  on  either  side  of  her. 
Wherever  she  set  her  blessed  foot,  there  was  at  once  a 
de\vy  flower.  The  violets  gushed  up  along  the  wayside. 
The  grass  and  the  grain  began  to  sprout  with  tenfold 


62  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

vigour  and  luxuriance,  to  make  up  for  the  dreary  months 
that  had  been  wasted  in  barrenness.  The  starved  cattle 
immediately  set  to  work  grazing,  after  their  long  fast,  and 
ate  enormously  all  day,  and  got  up  at  midnight  to  eat 
more.  But  I  can  assure  you  it  was  a  busy  time  of  year 
with  the  farmers,  when  they  found  the  summer  coming 
upon  them  with  such  a  rush.  Nor  must  I  forget  to  say 
that  all  the  birds  in  the  whole  world  hopped  about  upon 
the  newly  blossoming  trees,  and  sang  together  in  a 
prodigious  ecstasy  of  joy. 

Mother  Ceres  had  returned  to  her  deserted  home,  and 
was  sitting  disconsolately  on  the  doorstep,  with  her  torch 
burning  in  her  hand.  She  had  been  idly  watching  the 
flame  for  some  moments  past,  when  all  at  once  it  flickered 
and  went  out. 

"What  does  this  mean?"  thought  she.  "It  was  an 
enchanted  torch,  and  should  have  kept  burning  till  my 
child  came  back." 

Lifting  her  eyes,  she  was  surprised  to  see  a  sudden 
verdure  flashing  over  the  brown  and  barren  fields,  ex 
actly  as  you  may  have  observed  a  golden  hue  gleaming 
far  and  wide  across  the  landscape,  from  the  just  risen 
sun. 

"Does  the  earth  disobey  me?"  exclaimed  Mother 
Ceres,  indignantly.  "Does  it  presume  to  be  green, 
when  I  have  bidden  it  be  barren,  until  my  daughter 
shall  be  restored  to  my  arms?" 

"Then  open  your  arms,  dear  mother,"  cried  a  well- 
known  voice,  "and  take  your  little  daughter  into  them." 

And  Proserpina  came  running,  and  flung  herself 
upon  her  mother's  bosom.  Their  mutual  transport  is 
not  to  be  described.  The  grief  of  their  separation  had 
caused  both  of  them  to  shed  a  great  many  tears;  and 


The  Pomegranate  Seeds  63 

now  they  shed  a  great  many  more,  because  their  joy 
could  not  so  well  express  itself  in  any  other  way. 

When  their  hearts  had  grown  a  little  more  quiet, 
Mother  Ceres  looked  anxiously  at  Proserpina. 

"My  child,"  said  she,  "did  you  taste  any  food  while 
you  were  in  King  Pluto's  palace?" 

"Dearest  mother,"  answered  Proserpina,  "I  will 
tell  you  the  whole  truth.  Until  this  very  morning,  not 
a  morsel  of  food  had  passed  my  lips.  But  to-day, 
they  brought  me  a  pomegranate  (a  very  dry  one  it 
was,  and  all  shrivelled  up,  till  there  was  little  left  of 
it  but  seeds  and  skin),  and  having  seen  no  fruit  for  so 
long  a  time,  and  being  faint  with  hunger,  I  was  tempted 
just  to  bite  it.  The  instant  I  tasted  it,  King  Pluto 
and  Quicksilver  came  into  the  room.  I  had  not  swal 
lowed  a  morsel;  but — dear  mother,  I  hope  it  was  no 
harm — but  six  of  the  pomegranate  seeds,  I  am  afraid, 
remained  in  my  mouth." 

"Ah,  unfortunate  child,  and  miserable  me!"  exclaimed 
Ceres.  "For  each  of  those  six  pomegranate  seeds  you 
must  spend  one  month  of  every  year  in  King  Pluto's 
palace.  You  are  but  half  restored  to  your  mother. 
Only  six  months  with  me,  and  six  with  that  good-for- 
nothing  King  of  Darkness!" 

"Do  not  speak  so  harshly  of  poor  King  Pluto," 
said  Proserpina,  kissing  her  mother.  "He  has 
some  very  good  qualities;  and  I  really  think  I  can 
bear  to  spend  six  months  in  his  palace,  if  he  will 
only  let  me  spend  the  other  six  with  you.  He  certainly 
did  very  wrong  to  carry  me  off;  but  then,  as  he  says, 
it  was  but  a  dismal  sort  of  life  for  him,  to  live  in  that 
great  gloomy  place,  all  alone;  and  it  has  made  a 
wonderful  change  in  his  spirits  to  have  a  little  girl 


64  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

to  run  up  stairs  and  down.  There  is  some  comfort 
in  making  him  so  happy;  and  so,  upon  the  whole, 
dearest  mother,  let  us  be  thankful  that  he  is  not  to  keep 
me  the  whole  year  round." 


CHAPTER  HI 

/ 

THE   CHIMERA 

ONCE,  in  the  old,  old  times  (for  all  the  strange  things 
which  I  tell  you  about  happened  long  before  anybody 
can  remember),  a  fountain  gushed  out  of  a  hillside,  in  the 
marvellous  land  of  Greece.  And,  for  aught  I  know, 
after  so  many  thousand  years,  it  is  still  gushing  out  of 
the  very  selfsame  spot.  At  any  rate,  there  was  the 
pleasant  fountain,  welling  freshly  forth  and  sparkling 
adown  the  hillside,  in  the  golden  sunset,  when  a  hand 
some  young  man  named  Bellerophon  drew  near  its 
margin.  In  his  hand  he  held  a  bridle,  studded  with 
brilliant  gems,  and  adorned  with  a  golden  bit.  Seeing 
an  old  man,  and  another  of  middle  age,  and  a  little  boy, 
near  the  fountain,  and  likewise  a  maiden,  who  was 
dipping  up  some  of  the  water  in  a  pitcher,  he  paused, 
and  begged  that  he  might  refresh  himself  with  a 
draught. 

"This  is  very  delicious  water,"  he  said  to  the  maiden  as 
he  rinsed  and  filled  her  pitcher,  after  drinking  out  of  it. 
"Will  you  be  kind  enough  to  tell  me  whether  the  fountain 
has  any  name?" 

"Yes;  it  is  called  the  Fountain  of  Pirene,"  answered 
the  maiden;  and  then  she  added,  "My  grandmother 
has  told  me  that  this  clear  fountain  was  once  a  beautiful 
woman;  and  when  her  son  was  killed  by  the  arrows  of 
the  huntress  Diana,  she  melted  all  away  into  tears. 


66  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

And  so  the  water,  which  you  find  so  cool  and  sweet,  is 
the  sorrow  of  that  poor  mother's  heart!" 

"I  should  not  have  dreamed,"  observed  the  young 
stranger,  "that  so  clear  a  well-spring,  with  its  gush 
and  gurgle,  and  its  cheery  dance  out  of  the  shade  into  the 
sunlight,  had  so  much  as  one  tear-drop  in  its  bosom! 
And  this,  then,  is  Pirene?  I  thank  you,  pretty  maiden, 
for  telling  me  its  name.  I  have  come  from  a  far-away 
country  to  find  this  very  spot." 

A  middle-aged  country  fellow  (he  had  driven  his 
cow  to  drink  out  of  the  spring)  stared  hard  at  young 
Bellerophon,  and  at  the  handsome  bridle  which  he 
carried  in  his  hand. 

"The  watercourses  must  be  getting  low,  friend,  in 
your  part  of  the  world,"  remarked  he,  "if  you  come 
so  far  only  to  find  the  Fountain  of  Pirene.  But,  pray, 
have  you  lost  a  horse?  I  see  you  carry  the  bridle  in 
your  hand;  and  a  very  pretty  one  it  is  with  that  double 
row  of  bright  stones  upon  it.  If  the  horse  was  as  fine 
as  the  bridle,  you  are  much  to  be  pitied  for  losing  him." 

"I  have  lost  no  horse,"  said  Bellerophon,  with  a 
smile.  "But  I  happen  to  be  seeking  a  very  famous  one, 
which,  as  wise  people  have  informed  me,  must  be  found 
hereabouts,  if  anywhere.  Do  you  know  whether  the 
winged  horse  Pegasus  still  haunts  the  Fountain  of 
Pirene,  as  he  used  to  do  in  your  forefathers'  days?" 

But  then  the  country  fellow  laughed. 

Some  of  you,  my  little  friends,  have  probably  heard 
that  this  Pegasus  was  a  snow-white  steed,  with  beautiful 
silvery  wings,  who  spent  most  of  his  time  on  the  summit 
of  Mount  Helicon.  He  was  as  wild,  and  as  swift,  and  as 
buoyant,  in  his  flight  through  the  air,  as  any  eagle  that 
ever  soared  into  the  clouds.  There  was  nothing  else 


The  Chimara  67 

like  him  in  the  world.  He  had  no  mate;  he  never 
had  been  backed  or  bridled  by  a  master;  and,  for  many  a 
long  year,  he  led  a  solitary  and  a  happy  life. 

Oh,  how  fine  a  thing  it  is  to  be  a  winged  horse!  Sleep 
ing  at  night,  as  he  did,  on  a  lofty  mountain-top,  and 
passing  the  greater  part  of  the  day  in  the  air,  Pegasus 
seemed  hardly  to  be  a  creature  of  the  earth.  Whenever 
he  was  seen,  up  very  high  above  people's  heads,  with 
the  sunshine  on  his  silvery  wings,  you  would  have  thought 
that  he  belonged  to  the  sky,  and  that,  skimming  a  little 
too  low,  he  had  got  astray  among  our  mists  and  vapours, 
and  was  seeking  his  way  back  again.  It  was  very  pretty 
to  behold  him  plunge  into  the  fleecy  bosom  of  a  bright 
cloud,  and  be  lost  in  it,  for  a  moment  or  two,  and  then 
break  forth  from  the  other  side.  Or,  in  a  sullen  rain 
storm,  when  there  was  a  gray  pavement  of  clouds  over 
the  whole  sky,  it  would  sometimes  happen  that  the  winged 
horse  descended  right  through  it,  and  the  glad  light  of 
the  upper  region  would  gleam  after  him.  In  another 
instant,  it  is  true,  both  Pegasus  and  the  pleasant  light 
would  be  gone  away  together.  But  anyone  that  was 
fortunate  enough  to  see  this  wondrous  spectacle  felt 
cheerful  the  whole  day  afterward,  and  as  much  longer 
as  the  storm  lasted. 

In  the  summer  time,  and  in  the  beautifullest  of  weather, 
Pegasus  often  alighted  on  the  solid  earth,  and,  closing 
his  silvery  wings,  would  gallop  over  hill  and  dale  for 
pastime,  as  fleetly  as  the  wind.  Oftener  than  in  any 
other  place,  he  had  been  seen  near  the  Fountain  of 
Pirene,  drinking  the  delicious  water,  or  rolling  himself 
upon  the  soft  grass  of  the  margin.  Sometimes,  too 
(but  Pegasus  was  very  dainty  in  his  food),  he  would  crop  a 
few  of  the  clover  blossoms  that  happened  to  be  sweetest. 


68  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

To  the  Fountain  of  Pirene,  therefore,  people's  great 
grandfathers  had  been  in  the  habit  of  going  (as  long 
as  they  were  youthful  and  retained  their  faith  in  winged 
horses),  in  hopes  of  getting  a  glimpse  at  the  beautiful 
Pegasus.  But,  of  late  years,  he  had  been  very  seldom 
seen.  Indeed,  there  were  many  of  the  country  folks, 
dwelling  within  half  an  hour's  walk  of  the  fountain, 
who  had  never  beheld  Pegasus,  and  did  not  believe 
that  there  was  any  such  creature  in  existence.  The 
country  fellow  to  whom  Bellerophon  was  speaking 
chanced  to  be  one  of  those  incredulous  persons. 

And  that  was  the  reason  why  he  laughed. 

"Pegasus,  indeed  I"  cried  he,  turning  up  his  nose 
as  high  as  such  a  flat  nose  could  be  turned  up — "Pegasus, 
indeed!  A  winged  horse,  truly!  Why,  friend,  are  you 
in  your  senses  ?  Of  what  use  would  wings  be  to  a  horse  ? 
Could  he  drag  the  plough  so  well,  think  you?  To  be 
sure,  there  might  be  a  little  saving  in  the  expense  of 
shoes;  but  then,  how  would  a  man  like  to  see  his  horse 
flying  out  of  the  stable  window? — yes,  or  whisking  him 
up  above  the  clouds,  when  he  only  wanted  to  ride  to 
mill  ?  No,  no !  I  don't  believe  in  Pegasus.  There  never 
was  such  a  ridiculous  kind  of  a  horse  fowl  made!" 

"I  have  some  reason  to  think  otherwise,"  said  Bel 
lerophon,  quietly. 

And  then  he  turned  to  an  old,  gray  man,  who  was 
leaning  on  a  staff,  and  listening  very  attentively,  with 
his  head  stretched  forward  and  one  hand  at  his  ear, 
because,  for  the  last  twenty  years,  he  had  been  getting 
rather  deaf. 

"And  what  say  you,  venerable  sir?"  inquired  he. 
"In  your  younger  days,  I  should  imagine,  you  must 
frequently  have  seen  the  winged  steed!" 


The  Chinuzra  69 

"Ah,  young  stranger,  my  memory  is  very  poor!" 
said  the  aged  man.  "When  I  was  a  lad,  if  I  remem 
ber  rightly,  I  used  to  believe  there  was  such  a  horse, 
and  so  did  everybody  else.  But,  nowadays,  I  hardly 
know  what  to  think,  and  very  seldom  think  about  the 
winged  horse  at  all.  If  I  ever  saw  the  creature,  it  was 
a  long,  long  while  ago;  and,  to  tell  you  the  truth,  I 
doubt  whether  I  ever  did  see  him.  One  day,  to  be 
sure,  when  I  was  quite  a  youth,  I  remember  seeing 
some  hoof  tramps  round  about  the  brink  of  the 
fountain.  Pegasus  might  have  made  those  hoof 
marks;  and  so  might  some  other  horse." 

"And  have  you  never  seen  him,  my  fair  maiden?" 
asked  Bellerophon  of  the  girl,  who  stood  with  the  pitcher 
on  her  head,  while  this  talk  went  on.  "You  certainly 
could  see  Pegasus,  if  anybody  can,  for  your  eyes  are 
very  bright." 

"Once  I  thought  I  saw  him,"  replied  the  maiden, 
with  a  smile  and  a  blush.  "It  was  either  Pegasus  or  a 
large  white  bird,  a  very  great  way  up  in  the  ah*.  And 
one  other  time,  as  I  was  coming  to  the  fountain  with 
my  pitcher,  I  heard  a  neigh.  Oh,  such  a  brisk  and 
melodious  neigh  as  that  was!  My  very  heart  leaped 
with  delight  at  the  sound.  But  it  startled  me,  never 
theless;  so  that  I  ran  home  without  filling  my  pitcher." 

"That  was  truly  a  pity!"  said  Bellerophon. 

And  he  turned  to  the  child,  whom  I  mentioned  at 
the  beginning  of  the  story,  and  who  was  gazing  at  him, 
as  children  are  apt  to  gaze  at  strangers,  with  his  rosy 
mouth  wide  open. 

"Well,  my  little  fellow,"  cried  Bellerophon,  playfully 
pulling  one  of  his  curls,  "I  suppose  you  have  often  seen 
the  winged  horse." 


70  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

"That  I  have,"  answered  the  child,  very  readily. 
"I  saw  him  yesterday,  and  many  times  before." 

"You  are  a  fine  little  man!"  said  Bellerophon,  draw 
ing  the  child  closer  to  him.  "Come,  tell  me  all 
about  it." 

"Why,"  replied  the  child,  "I  often  come  here  to 
sail  little  boats  in  the  fountain,  and  to  gather  pretty 
pebbles  out  of  its  basin.  And  sometimes,  when  I  look 
down  into  the  water,  I  see  the  image  of  the  winged  horse 
in  the  picture  of  the  sky  that  is  there.  I  wish  he  would 
come  down,  and  take  me  on  his  back,  and  let  me  ride 
him  up  to  the  moon!  But,  if  I  so  much  as  stir  to  look 
at  him,  he  flies  far  away  out  of  sight." 

And  Bellerophon  put  his  faith  in  the  child,  who  had 
seen  the  image  of  Pegasus  in  the  water,  and  in  the  maiden, 
who  had  heard  him  neigh  so  melodiously,  rather  than 
in  the  middle-aged  clown,  who  believed  only  in  cart 
horses,  or  in  the  old  man  who  had  forgotten  the  beautiful 
things  of  his  youth. 

Therefore,  he  haunted  about  the  Fountain  of  Pirene 
for  a  great  many  days  afterward.  He  kept  continually 
on  the  watch,  looking  upward  at  the  sky,  or  else  down 
into  the  water,  hoping  forever  that  he  should  see  either 
the  reflected  image  of  the  winged  horse,  or  the  marvellous 
reality.  He  held  the  bridle,  with  its  bright  gems  and 
golden  bit,  always  ready  in  his  hand.  The  rustic  people 
who  dwelt  in  the  neighbourhood,  and  drove  their  cattle 
to  the  fountain  to  drink,  would  often  laugh  at  poor 
Bellerophon,  and  sometimes  take  him  pretty  severely 
to  task.  They  told  him  that  an  able-bodied  young 
man  like  himself  ought  to  have  better  business  than  to 
be  wasting  his  time  in  such  an  idle  pursuit.  They  offered 
to  sell  him  a  horse,  if  he  wanted  one;  and  when  Bellero- 


The  Chimara  71 

phon  declined  the  purchase,  they  tried  to  drive  a  bargain 
with  him  for  his  fine  bridle. 

Even  the  country  boys  thought  him  so  very  foolish 
that  they  used  to  have  a  great  deal  of  sport  about  him, 
and  were  rude  enough  not  to  care  a  fig,  although  Bel- 
lerophon  saw  and  heard  it.  One  little  urchin,  for  exam 
ple,  would  play  Pegasus,  and  cut  the  oddest  imaginable 
capers,  by  way  of  flying;  while  one  of  his  schoolfellows 
would  scamper  after  him,  holding  forth  a  twist  of  bul 
rushes,  which  was  intended  to  represent  Bellerophon's 
ornamental  bridle.  But  the  gentle  child,  who  had  seen 
the  picture  of  Pegasus  in  the  water,  comforted  the  young 
stranger  more  than  all  the  naughty  boys  could  torment 
him.  The  dear  little  fellow,  in  his  play  hours,  often 
sat  down  beside  him,  and,  without  speaking  a  word, 
would  look  down  into  the  fountain  and  up  toward  the 
sky,  with  so  innocent  a  faith  that  Bellerophon  could 
not  help  feeling  encouraged. 

Now  you  will,  perhaps,  wish  to  be  told  why  it  was 
that  Bellerophon  had  undertaken  to  catch  the  winged 
horse.  And  we  shall  find  no  better  opportunity  to  speak 
about  this  matter  than  while  he  is  waiting  for  Pegasus 
to  appear. 

If  I  were  to  relate  the  whole  of  Bellerophon's  pre 
vious  adventures,  they  might  easily  grow  into  a  very 
long  story.  It  will  be  quite  enough  to  say  that,  in  a 
certain  country  of  Asia,  a  terrible  monster,  called  a 
Chimsera,  had  made  its  appearance,  and  was  doing 
more  mischief  than  could  be  talked  about  between  now 
and  sunset.  According  to  the  best  accounts  which  I 
have  been  able  to  obtain,  this  Chimaera  was  nearly,  if 
not  quite,  the  ugliest  and  most  poisonous  creature,  and 
the  strangest  and  unaccountablest,  and  the  hardest  to 


72  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

fight  with,  and  the  most  difficult  to  run  away  from,  that 
ever  came  out  of  the  earth's  inside.  It  had  a  tail  like 
a  boa-constrictor;  its  body  was  like  I  do  not  care  what; 
and  it  had  three  separate  heads,  one  of  which  was  a 
lion's,  the  second  a  goat's,  and  the  third  an  abominably 
great  snake's.  And  a  hot  blast  of  fire  came  flaming 
out  of  each  of  its  three  mouths!  Being  an  earthly  mon 
ster,  I  doubt  whether  it  had  any  wings;  but,  wings  or 
no,  it  ran  like  a  goat  and  a  lion,  and  wriggled  along  like 
a  serpent,  and  thus  contrived  to  make  about  as  much 
speed  as  all  the  three  together. 

Oh,  the  mischief,  and  mischief,  and  mischief  that 
this  naughty  creature  did!  With  its  flaming  breath, 
it  could  set  a  forest  on  fire,  or  burn  up  a  field  of  grain, 
or,  for  that  matter,  a  village,  with  all  its  fences  and 
houses.  It  laid  waste  the  whole  country  round  about, 
and  used  to  eat  up  people  and  animals  alive,  and  cook 
them  afterward  in  the  burning  oven  of  its  stomach. 
Mercy  on  us,  little  children,  I  hope  neither  you  nor  I 
will  ever  happen  to  meet  a  Chimaera! 

While  the  hateful  beast  (if  a  beast  we  can  anywise 
call  it)  was  doing  all  these  horrible  things,  it  so  chanced 
that  Bellerophon  came  to  that  part  of  the  world,  on  a 
visit  to  the  king.  The  king's  name  was  lobates,  and 
Lycia  was  the  country  which  he  ruled  over.  Bellerophon 
was  one  of  the  bravest  youths  in  the  world,  and  desired 
nothing  so  much  as  to  do  some  valiant  and  beneficent 
deed,  such  as  would  make  all  mankind  admire  and  love 
him.  In  those  days,  the  only  way  for  a  young  man  to 
distinguish  himself  was  by  fighting  battles,  either  with 
the  enemies  of  his  country,  or  with  wicked  giants,  or  with 
troublesome  dragons,  or  with  wild  beasts,  when  he  could 
find  nothing  more  dangerous  to  encounter.  King  lobates, 


The  Chimcera  ^ 

perceiving  the  courage  of  his  youthful  visitor,  proposed 
to  him  to  go  and  fight  the  Chimaera,  which  everybody 
else  was  afraid  of,  and  which,  unless  it  should  be  soon 
killed,  was  likely  to  convert  Lycia  into  a  desert.  Bel- 
lerophon  hesitated  not  a  moment,  but  assured  the  king 
that  he  would  either  slay  this  dreaded  Chimera,  or 
perish  in  the  attempt. 

But,  in  the  first  place,  as  the  monster  was  so  pro 
digiously  swift,  he  bethought  himself  that  he  should 
never  win  the  victory  by  fighting  on  foot.  The  wisest 
thing  he  could  do,  therefore,  was  to  get  the  very  best 
and  fleetest  horse  that  could  anywhere  be  found.  And 
what  other  horse  in  all  the  world  was  half  so  fleet  as 
the  marvellous  horse  Pegasus,  who  had  wings  as  well 
as  legs,  and  was  even  more  active  in  the  air  than  on  the 
earth?  To  be  sure,  a  great -many  people  denied  that 
there  was  any  such  horse  with  wings,  and  said  that 
the  stories  about  him  were  all  poetry  and  nonsense. 
But,  wonderful  as  it  appeared,  Bellerophon  believed 
that  Pegasus  was  a  real  steed,  and  hoped  that  he  him 
self  might  be  fortunate  enough  to  find  him;  and,  once 
fairly  mounted  on  his  back,  he  would  be  able  to  fight 
the  Chimaera  at  better  advantage. 

And  this  was  the  purpose  with  which  he  had  trav 
elled  from  Lycia  to  Greece,  and  had  brought  the  beau 
tifully  ornamented  bridle  in  his  hand.  It  was  an  en 
chanted  bridle.  If  he  could  only  succeed  in  putting 
the  golden  bit  into  the  mouth  of  Pegasus,  the  winged 
horse  would  be  submissive,  and  would  own  Bellerophon 
for  his  master,  and  fly  whithersoever  he  might  choose 
to  turn  the  rein. 

But,  indeed,  it  was  a  weary  and  anxious  time,  while 
Bellerophon  waited  and  waited  for  Pegasus,  in  hopes 


74  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

that  he  would  come  and  drink  at  the  Fountain  of  Pirene. 
He  was  afraid  lest  King  lobates  should  imagine  that  he 
had  fled  from  the  Chimaera.  It  pained  him,  too,  to 
think  how  much  mischief  the  monster  was  doing,  while 
he  himself,  instead  of  fighting  with  it,  was  compelled 
to  sit  idly  poring  over  the  bright  waters  of  Pirene,  as 
they  gushed  out  of  the  sparkling  sand.  And  as  Pegasus 
came  thither  so  seldom  in  these  latter  years,  and  scarcely 
alighted  there  more  than  once  in  a  lifetime,  Bellerophon 
feared  that  he  might  grow  an  old  man,  and  have  no 
strength  left  in  his  arms  nor  courage  in  his  heart,  before 
the  winged  horse  would  appear.  Oh,  how  heavily 
passes  the  time,  while  an  adventurous  youth  is  yearning 
to  do  his  part  in  life,  and  to  gather  in  the  harvest  of  his 
renown!  How  hard  a  lesson  it  is  to  wait!  Our  life  is 
brief,  and  how  much  of  it  is  spent  in  teaching  us  only  this! 

Well  was  it  for  Bellerophon  that  the  gentle  child  had 
grown  so  fond  of  him,  and  was  never  weary  of  keeping 
him  company.  Every  morning  the  child  gave  him  a 
new  hope  to  put  in  his  bosom,  instead  of  yesterday's 
withered  one. 

"Dear  Bellerophon,"  he  would  cry,  looking  up  hope 
fully  into  his  face,  "I  think  we  shall  see  Pegasus  to-day!" 

And,  at  length,  if  it  had  not  been  for  the  little  boy's 
unwavering  faith,  Bellerophon  would  have  given  up  all 
hope,  and  would  have  gone  back  to  Lycia,  and  have 
done  his  best  to  slay  the  Chimaera  without  the  help  of 
the  winged  horse.  And  in  that  case  poor  Bellerophon 
would  at  least  have  been  terribly  scorched  by  the  crea 
ture's  breath,  and  would  most  probably  have  been  killed 
and  devoured.  Nobody  should  ever  try  to  fight  an 
earth-born  Chimaera,  unless  he  can  first  get  upon  the 
back  of  an  aerial  steed. 


The  Chimcera  75 

One  morning  the  child  spoke  to  Bellerophon  even 
more  hopefully  than  usual. 

"Dear,  dear  Bellerophon,"  cried  he,  "I  know  not 
why  it  is,  but  I  feel  as  if  we  should  certainly  see  Pegasus 
to-day!" 

And  all  that  day  he  would  not  stir  a  step  from  Bel 
lerophon's  side;  so  they  ate  a  crust  of  bread  together, 
and  drank  some  of  the  water  of  the  fountain.  In  the 
afternoon,  there  they  sat,  and  Bellerophon  had  thrown 
his  arm  around  the  child,  who  likewise  had  put  one  of 
his  little  hands  into  Bellerophon's.  The  latter  was  lost 
in  his  own  thoughts,  and  was  fixing  his  eyes  vacantly 
on  the  trunks  of  the  trees  that  overshadowed  the  fountain, 
and  on  the  grapevines  that  clambered  up  among  their 
branches.  But  the  gentle  child  was  gazing  down  into 
the  water;  he  was  grieved,  for  Bellerophon's  sake,  that 
the  hope  of  another  day  should  be  deceived,  like  so  many 
before  it;  and  two  or  three  quiet  tear-drops  fell  from 
his  eyes,  and  mingled  with  what  were  said  to  be  the 
many  tears  of  Pirene,  when  she  wept  for  her  slain  children. 

But,  when  he  least  thought  of  it,  Bellerophon  felt  the 
pressure  of  the  child's  little  hand,  and  heard  a  soft, 
almost  breathless,  whisper. 

"See  there,  dear  Bellerophon!  There  is  an  image 
in  the  water!" 

The  young  man  looked  down  into  the  dimpling  mir 
ror  of  the  fountain,  and  saw  what  he  took  to  be  the 
reflection  of  a  bird  which  seemed  to  be  flying  at  a  great 
height  in  the  air,  with  a  gleam  of  sunshine  on  its  snowy 
or  silvery  wings. 

"What  a  splendid  bird  it  must  be!"  said  he.  "And 
how  very  large  it  looks,  though  it  must  really  be  flying 
higher  than  the  clouds!" 


76  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

"It  makes  me  tremble!"  whispered  the  child.  "I 
am  afraid  to  look  up  into  the  airl  It  is  very  beautiful, 
and  yet  I  dare  only  look  at  its  image  in  the  water.  Dear 
Bellerophon,  do  you  not  see  that  it  is  no  bird  ?  It  is  the 
winged  horse  Pegasus!" 

Bellerophon's  heart  began  to  throb!  He  gazed 
keenly  upward,  but  could  not  see  the  winged  creature, 
whether  bird  or  horse;  because,  just  then,  it  had  plunged 
into  the  fleecy  depths  of  a  summer  cloud.  It  was  but 
a  moment,  however,  before  the  object  reappeared,  sink 
ing  lightly  down  out  of  the  cloud,  although  still  at  a  vast 
distance  from  the  earth.  Bellerophon  caught  the  child 
in  his  arms,  and  shrank  back  with  him,  so  that  they  were 
both  hidden  among  the  thick  shrubbery  which  grew  all 
around  the  fountain.  Not  that  he  was  afraid  of  any 
harm,  but  he  dreaded  lest,  if  Pegasus  caught  a  glimpse 
of  them,  he  would  fly  far  away,  and  alight  in  some 
inaccessible  mountain-top.  For  it  was  really  the  winged 
horse.  After  they  had  expected  him  so  long,  he  was 
coming  to  quench  his  thirst  with  the  water  of  Pirene. 

Nearer  and  nearer  came  the  aerial  wonder,  flying  in 
great  circles,  as  you  may  have  seen  a  dove  when  about 
to  alight.  Downward  came  Pegasus,  in  those  wide, 
sweeping  circles,  which  grew  narrower,  and  narrower 
still,  as  he  gradually  approached  the  earth.  The  nigher 
the  view  of  him,  the  more  beautiful  he  was,  and  the  more 
marvellous  the  sweep  of  his  silvery  wings.  At  last,  with 
so  light  a  pressure  as  hardly  to  bend  the  grass  about 
the  fountain,  or  imprint  a  hoof  tramp  in  the  sand  of  its 
margin,  he  alighted,  and,  stooping  his  wild  head,  began 
to  drink.  He  drew  in  the  water,  with  long  and  pleasant 
sighs,  and  tranquil  pauses  of  enjoyment;  and  then 
another  draught,  and  another,  and  another.  For, 


The  Chimera  77 

nowhere  in  the  world,  or  up  among  the  clouds,  did 
Pegasus  love  any  water  as  he  loved  this  of  Pirene.  And 
when  his  thirst  was  slaked,  he  cropped  a  few  of  the 
honey  blossoms  of  the  clover,  delicately  tasting  them, 
but  not  caring  to  make  a  hearty  meal,  because  the  herbage 
just  beneath  the  clouds,  on  the  lofty  sides  of  Mount 
Helicon,  suited  his  palate  better  than  this  ordinary  grass. 

After  thus  drinking  to  his  heart's  content,  and  in 
his  dainty  fashion  condescending  to  take  a  little  food, 
the  winged  horse  began  to  caper  to  and  fro,  and  dance 
as  it  were,  out  of  mere  idleness  and  sport.  There 
never  was  a  more  playful  creature  made  than  this  very 
Pegasus.  So  there  he  frisked,  in  a  way  that  it  delights 
me  to  think  about,  fluttering  his  great  wings  as  v  lightly 
as  ever  did  a  linnet,  and  running  little  races,  half  on 
earth  and  half  in  air,  and  which  I  know  not  whether  to 
call  a  flight  or  a  gallop.  When  a  creature  is  perfectly 
able  to  fly,  he  sometimes  chooses  to  run,  just  for  the 
pastime  of  the  thing;  and  so  did  Pegasus,  although  it 
cost  him  some  little  trouble  to  keep  his  hoofs  so  near  the 
ground.  Bellerophon,  meanwhile,  holding  the  child's 
hand,  peeped  forth  from  the  shrubbery,  and  thought  that 
never  was  any  sight  so  beautiful  as  this,  nor  ever  a  horse's 
eyes  so  wild  and  spirited  as  those  of  Pegasus.  It  seemed 
a  sin  to  think  of  bridling  him  and  riding  on  his  back. 

Once  or  twice,  Pegasus  stopped,  and  snuffed  the 
air,  pricking  up  his  ears,  tossing  his  head,  and  turning 
it  on  all  sides,  as  if  he  partly  suspected  some  mischief 
or  other.  Seeing  nothing,  however,  and  hearing  no 
sound,  he  soon  began  his  antics  again. 

At  length— not  that  he  was  weary,  but  only  idle 
and  luxurious — Pegasus  folded  his  wings,  and  lay  down 
on  the  soft  green  turf.  But,  being  too  full  of  aerial  life 


78  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

to  remain  quiet  for  many  moments  together,  he  soon 
rolled  over  on  his  back,  with  his  four  slender  legs  in  the 
air.  It  was  beautiful  to  see  him,  this  one  solitary  creature, 
whose  mate  had  never  been  created,  but  who  needed  no 
companion,  and,  living  a  great  many  hundred  years,  was 
as  happy  as  the  centuries  were  long.  The  more  he  did 
such  things  as  mortal  horses  are  accustomed  to  do,  the 
less  earthly  and  the  more  wonderful  he  seemed.  Bellero- 
phon  and  the  child  almost  held  their  breaths,  partly  from 
a  delightful  awe,  but  still  more  because  they  dreaded  lest 
the  slightest  stir  or  murmur  should  send  him  up,  with  the 
speed  of  an  arrow  flight,  into  the  farthest  blue  of  the 
sky. 

Finally,  when  he  had  had  enough  of  rolling  over 
and  over,  Pegasus  turned  himself  about,  and,  indolently, 
like  any  other  horse,  put  out  his  fore  legs,  in  order  to 
rise  from  the  ground;  and  Bellerophon,  who  had  guessed 
that  he  would  do  so,  darted  suddenly  from  the  thicket, 
and  leaped  astride  of  his  back. 

Yes,  there  he  sat,  on  the  back  of  the  winged  horse! 

But  what  a  bound  did  Pegasus  make,  when,  for  the 
first  time,  he  felt  the  weight  of  a  mortal  man  upon 
his  loins!  A  bound,  indeed!  Before  he  had  time  to 
draw  a  breath  Bellerophon  found  himself  five  hundred 
feet  aloft,  and  still  shooting  upward,  while  the  winged 
horse  snorted  and  trembled  with  terror  and  anger. 
Upward  he  went,  up,  up,  up,  until  he  plunged  into 
the  cold  misty  bosom  of  a  cloud,  at  which,  only  a  little 
while  before,  Bellerophon  had  been  gazing,  and  fancy 
ing  it  a  very  pleasant  spot.  Then  again,  out  of  the 
heart  of  the  cloud,  Pegasus  shot  down  like  a  thunder 
bolt,  as  if  he  meant  to  dash  both  himself  and  his  rider 
headlong  against  a  rock.  Then  he  went  through  about 


The  Chimara 


79 


a  thousand  of  the  wildest  caprioles  that  had  ever  been 
performed  either  by  a  bird  or  a  horse. 

I  cannot  tell  you  half  that  he  did.  He  skimmed 
straight  forward,  and  sideways,  and  backward.  He 
reared  himself  erect,  with  his  fore  legs  on  a  wreath  of 
mist,  and  his  hind  legs  on  nothing  at  all.  He  flung 
out  his  heels  behind,  and  put  down  his  head  between 
his  legs,  with  his  wings  pointing  right  upward.  At 
about  two  miles*  height  above  the  earth,  he  turned  a 
somerset,  so  that  Bellerophon's  heels  were  where  his 
head  should  have  been,  and  he  seemed  to  look  down 
into  the  sky,  instead  of  up.  He  twisted  his  head  about, 
and,  looking  Bellerophon  in  the  face,  with  fire  flashing 
from  his  eyes,  made  a  terrible  attempt  to  bite  him.  He 
fluttered  his  pinions  so  wildly  that  one  of  the  silver 
feathers  was  shaken  out,  and  floating  earthward,  was 
picked  up  by  the  child,  who  kept  it  as  long  as  he  lived, 
in  memory  of  Pegasus  and  Bellerophon. 

But  the  latter  (who,  as  you  may  judge,  was  as  good 
a  horseman  as  ever  galloped)  had  been  watching  his 
opportunity,  and  at  last  clapped  the  golden  bit  of  the 
enchanted  bridle  between  the  winged  steed's  jaws. 
No  sooner  was  this  done,  than  Pegasus  became  as 
manageable  as  if  he  had  taken  food  all  his  life  out  of 
Bellerophon's  hand.  To  speak  what  I  really  feel,  it 
was  almost  a  sadness  to  see  so  wild  a  creature  grow 
suddenly  so  tame.  And  Pegasus  seemed  to  feel  it  so, 
likewise.  He  looked  round  to  Bellerophon,  with  the 
tears  in  his  beautiful  eyes,  instead  of  the  fire  that  so 
recently  flashed  from  them.  But  when  Bellerophon 
patted  his  head,  and  spoke  a  few  authoritative  yet  kind 
and  soothing  words,  another  look  came  into  the  eyes 
of  Pegasus;  for  he  was  glad  at  heart,  after  so  many 


8o  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

lonely  centuries,  to  have  found  a  companion  and  a 
master. 

Thus  it  always  is  with  winged  horses,  and  with  all 
such  wild  and  solitary  creatures.  If  you  can  catch  and 
overcome  them,  it  is  the  surest  way  to  win  their  love. 

While  Pegasus  had  been  doing  his  utmost  to  shake 
Bellerophon  off  his  back,  he  had  flown  a  very  long 
distance;  and  they  had  come  within  sight  of  a  lofty 
mountain  by  the  time  the  bit  was  in  his  mouth.  Bellero 
phon  had  seen  this  mountain  before,  and  knew  it  to  be 
Helicon,  on  the  summit  of  which  was  the  winged  horse's 
abode.  Thither  (after  looking  gently  into  his  rider's 
face,  as  if  to  ask  leave)  Pegasus  now  flew,  and,  alighting, 
waited  patiently  until  Bellerophon  should  please  to 
dismount.  The  young  man,  accordingly,  leaped  from 
his  steed's  back,  but  still  held  him  fast  by  the  bridle. 
Meeting  his  eyes,  however,  he  was  so  affected  by  the 
gentleness  of  his  aspect,  and  by  the  thought  of  the  free 
life  which  Pegasus  had  heretofore  lived,  that  he  could 
not  bear  to  keep  him  a  prisoner,  if  he  really  desired  his 
liberty. 

Obeying  this  generous  impulse  he  slipped  the  enchanted 
bridle  off  the  head  of  Pegasus,  and  took  the  bit  from  his 
mouth. 

"Leave  me,  Pegasus!"  said  he.  "Either  leave  me, 
or  love  me." 

In  an  instant,  the  winged  horse  shot  almost  out  of 
sight,  soaring  upward  from  the  summit  of  Mount  Helicon. 
Being  long  after  sunset,  it  was  now  twilight  on  the 
mountain-top,  and  dusky  evening  over  all  the  country 
round  about.  But  Pegasus  flew  so  high  that  he  overtook 
the  departed  day,  and  was  bathed  in  the  upper  radiance 
of  the  sun.  Ascending  higher  and  higher,  he  looked  like 


The  Chimera  Si 

a  bright  speck,  and,  at  last,  could  no  longer  be  seen  in 
the  hollow  waste  of  the  sky.  And  Bellerophon  was  afraid 
that  he  should  never  behold  him  more.  But,  while  he 
was  lamenting  his  own  folly,  the  bright  speck  reappeared, 
and  drew  nearer  and  nearer,  until  it  descended  lower  than 
the  sunshine;  and,  behold,  Pegasus  had  come  back! 
After  this  trial  there  was  no  more  fear  of  the  winged 
horse's  making  his  escape.  He  and  Bellerophon  were 
friends,  and  put  loving  faith  in  one  another. 

That  night  they  lay  down  and  slept  together,  with 
Bellerophon's  arm  about  the  neck  of  Pegasus,  not  as 
a  caution,  but  for  kindness.  And  they  awoke  at  peep 
of  day,  and  bade  one  another  good-morning,  each  in  his 
own  language. 

In  this  manner,  Bellerophon  and  the  wondrous  steed 
spent  several  days,  and  grew  better  acquainted  and 
fonder  of  each  other  all  the  time.  They  went  on  long 
aerial  journeys,  and  sometimes  ascended  so  high  that  the 
earth  looked  hardly  bigger  than — the  moon.  They  visited 
distant  countries,  and  amazed  the  inhabitants,  who 
thought  that  the  beautiful  young  man,  on  the  back  of  the 
winged  horse,  must  have  come  down  out  of  the  sky. 
A  thousand  miles  a  day  was  no  more  than  an  easy  space 
for  the  fleet  Pegasus  to  pass  over.  Bellerophon  was 
delighted  with  this  kind  of  life,  and  would  have  liked 
nothing  better  than  to  live  always  in  the  same  way,  aloft 
in  the  clear  atmosphere;  for  it  was  always  sunny  weather 
up  there,  however  cheerless  and  rainy  it  might  be  in  the 
lower  region.  But  he  could  not  forget  the  horrible 
Chimasra,  which  he  had  promised  King  lobates  to  slay. 
So,  at  last,  when  he  had  become  well  accustomed  to 
feats  of  horsemanship  in  the  air,  and  could  manage 
Pegasus  with  the  least  motion  of  his  hand,  and  had 


82  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

taught  him  to  obey  his  voice,  he  determined  to  attempt 
the  performance  of  this  perilous  adventure. 

At  daybreak,  therefore,  as  soon  as  he  unclosed  his 
eyes,  he  gently  pinched  the  winged  horse's  ear,  in  order 
to  arouse  him.  Pegasus  immediately  started  from  the 
ground,  and  pranced  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  aloft, 
and  made  a  grand  sweep  around  the  mountain-top,  by 
way  of  showing  that  he  was  wide  awake,  and  ready  for 
any  kind  of  an  excursion.  During  the  whole  of  this 
little  flight,  he  uttered  a  loud,  brisk,  and  melodious 
neigh,  and  finally  came  down  at  Bellerophon's  side,  as 
lightly  as  ever  you  saw  a  sparrow  hop  upon  a  twig. 

"Well  done,  dear  Pegasus !  well  done,  my  sky-skimmer! " 
cried  Bellerophon,  fondly  stroking  the  horse's  neck. 
"And  now,  my  fleet  and  beautiful  friend,  we  must  break 
our  fast.  To-day  we  are  to  fight  the  terrible  Chimaera." 

As  soon  as  they  had  eaten  their  morning  meal,  and 
drank  some  sparkling  water  from  a  spring  called  Hip- 
pocrene,  Pegasus  held  out  his  head,  of  his  own  accord, 
so  that  his  master  might  put  on  the  bridle.  Then,  with 
a  great  many  playful  leaps  and  airy  caperings,  he  showed 
his  impatience  to  be  gone;  while  Bellerophon  was  girding 
on  his  sword,  and  hanging  his  shield  about  his  neck,  and 
preparing  himself  for  battle.  When  everything  was 
ready,  the  rider  mounted,  and  (as  was  his  custom,  when 
going  a  long  distance)  ascended  five  miles  perpendicularly, 
so  as  the  better  to  see  whither  he  was  directing  his  course. 
He  then  turned  the  head  of  Pegasus  toward  the  east,  and 
set  out  for  Lycia.  In  their  flight  they  overtook  an  eagle, 
and  came  so  nigh  him,  before  he  could  get  out  of  their 
way,  that  Bellerophon  might  easily  have  caught  him 
by  the  leg.  Hastening  onward  at  this  rate,  it  was  still 
early  in  the  forenoon  when  they  beheld  the  lofty  mountains 


The  Chimczra  83 

of  Lycia,  with  their  deep  and  shaggy  valleys.  If  Bellero- 
phon  had  been  told  truly,  it  was  in  one  of  those  dismal 
valleys  that  the  hideous  Chimaera  had  taken  up  its 
abode. 

Being  now  so  near  their  journey's  end,  the  winged 
horse  gradually  descended  with  his  rider;  and  they  took 
advantage  of  some  clouds  that  were  floating  over  the 
mountain-tops,  in  order  to  conceal  themselves.  Hovering 
on  the  upper  surface  of  a  cloud,  and  peeping  over  its 
edge,  Bellerophon  had  a  pretty  distinct  view  of  the 
mountainous  part  of  Lycia,  and  could  look  into  all  its 
shadowy  vales  at  once.  At  first  there  appeared  to  be 
nothing  remarkable.  It  was  a  wild,  savage,  and  rocky 
tract  of  high  and  precipitous  hills.  In  the  more  level 
part  of  the  country,  there  were  the  ruins  of  houses 
that  had  been  burnt,  and,  here  and  there,  the  carcasses  of 
dead  cattle,  strewn  about  the  pastures  where  they  had 
been  feeding. 

"The  Chimaera  must  have  done  this  mischief," 
thought  Bellerophon.  "But  where  can  the  monster 
be?" 

As  I  have  already  said,  there  was  nothing  remarkable 
to  be  detected,  at  first  sight,  in  any  of  the  valleys  and 
dells  that  lay  among  the  precipitous  heights  of  the 
mountains.  Nothing  at  all;  unless,  indeed,  it  were 
three  spires  of  black  smoke,  which  issued  from  what 
seemed  to  be  the  mouth  of  a  cavern,  and  clambered 
sullenly  into  the  atmosphere.  Before  reaching  the 
mountain-top,  these  three  black  smoke  wreaths  mingled 
themselves  into  one.  The  cavern  was  almost  directly 
beneath  the  winged  horse  and  his  rider,  at  the  distance 
of  about  a  thousand  feet.  The  smoke,  as  it  crept  heavily 
upward,  had  an  ugly,  sulphurous,  stifling  scent,  which 


84  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

caused  Pegasus  to  snort  and  Bellerophon  to  sneeze. 
So  disagreeable  was  it  to  the  marvellous  steed  (who 
was  accustomed  to  breathe  only  the  purest  air),  that  he 
waved  his  wings,  and  shot  half  a  mile  out  of  the  range 
of  this  offensive  vapour. 

But,  on  looking  behind  him,  Bellerophon  saw  some 
thing  that  induced  him  first  to  draw  the  bridle,  and 
then  to  turn  Pegasus  about.  He  made  a  sign,  which 
the  winged  horse  understood,  and  sunk  slowly  through 
the  air,  until  his  hoofs  were  scarcely  more  than  a  man's 
height  above  the  rocky  bottom  of  the  valley.  In  front, 
as  far  off  as  you  could  throw  a  stone,  was  the  cavern's 
mouth,  with  the  three  smoke  wreaths  oozing  out  of  it. 
And  what  else  did  Bellerophon  behold  there  ? 

There  seemed  to  be  a  heap  of  strange  and  terrible 
creatures  curled  up  within  the  cavern.  Their  bodies 
lay  so  close  together  that  Bellerophon  could  not  dis 
tinguish  them  apart;  but,  judging  by  their  heads,  one 
of  these  creatures  was  a  huge  snake,  the  second  a  fierce 
lion,  and  the  third  an  ugly  goat.  The  lion  and  the  goat 
were  asleep;  the  snake  was  broad  awake,  and  kept 
staring  around  him  with  a  great  pair  of  fiery  eyes.  But — 
and  this  was  the  most  wonderful  part  of  the  matter — the 
three  spires  of  smoke  evidently  issued  from  the  nostrils 
of  these  three  heads!  So  strange  was  the  spectacle,  that, 
though  Bellerophon  had  been  all  along  expecting  it,  the 
truth  did  not  immediately  occur  to  him,  that  here  was  the 
terrible  three-headed  Chimaera.  He  had  found  out  the 
Chimera's  cavern.  The  snake,  the  lion,  and  the  goat, 
as  he  supposed  them  to  be,  were  not  three  separate 
creatures,  but  one  monster! 

The  wicked,  hateful  thing!  Slumbering  as  two-thirds 
of  it  were,  it  still  held,  in  its  abominable  claws,  the 


The  Chimara  85 

remnant  of  an  unfortunate  lamb — or  possibly  (but  I 
hate  to  think  so)  it  was  a  dear  little  boy — which  its  three 
mouths  had  been  gnawing,  before  two  of  them  fell  asleep! 

All  at  once,  Bellerophon  started  as  from  a  dream,  and 
knew  it  to  be  the  Chimcera.  Pegasus  seemed  to  know  it, 
at  the  same  instant,  and  sent  forth  a  neigh  that  sounded 
like  the  call  of  a  trumpet  to  battle.  At  this  sound  the 
three  heads  reared  themselves  erect,  and  belched  out 
great  flashes  of  flame.  Before  Bellerophon  had  time  to 
consider  what  to  do  next,  the  monster  flung  itself  out  of 
the  cavern  and  sprung  straight  toward  him,  with  its 
immense  claws  extended,  and  its  snaky  tail  twisting 
itself  venomously  behind.  If  Pegasus  had  not  been  as 
nimble  as  a  bird,  both  he  and  his  rider  would  have  been 
overthrown  by  the  Chimaera's  headlong  rush,  and  thus 
the  battle  have  been  ended  before  it  was  well  begun. 
But  the  winged  horse  was  not  to  be  caught  so.  In  the 
twinkling  of  an  eye  he  was  up  aloft,  half  way  to  the  clouds, 
snorting  with  anger.  He  shuddered,  too,  not  with 
affright,  but  with  utter  disgust  at  the  loathsomeness  of 
this  poisonous  thing  with  three  heads. 

The  Chimaera,  on  the  other  hand,  raised  itself  up  so 
as  to  stand  absolutely  on  the  tip  end  of  its  tail,  with 
its  talons  pawing  fiercely  in  the  air,  and  its  three  heads 
sputtering  fire  at  Pegasus  and  his  rider.  My  stars, 
how  it  roared,  and  hissed,  and  bellowed!  Bellerophon, 
meanwhile,  was  fitting  his  shield  on  his  arm,  and  drawing 
his  sword. 

"Now,  my  beloved  Pegasus,"  he  whispered  in  the 
winged  horse's  ear,  "thou  must  help  me  to  slay  this 
insufferable  monster;  or  else  thou  shalt  fly  back  to  thy 
solitary  mountain  peak  without  thy  friend  Bellerophon. 
For  either  the  Chimaera  dies,  or  its  three  mouths  shall 


86  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

gnaw  this  head  of  mine,  which  has  slumbered  upon  thy 
neck!" 

Pegasus  whinnied,  and,  turning  back  his  head,  rubbed 
his  nose  tenderly  against  his  rider's  cheek.  It  was  his 
way  of  telling  him  that,  though  he  had  wings  and  was 
an  immortal  horse,  yet  he  would  perish,  if  it  were  possible 
for  immortality  to  perish,  rather  than  leave  Bellerophon 
behind. 

"I  thank  you,  Pegasus,"  answered  Bellerophon. 
"Now,  then,  let  us  make  a  dash  at  the  monster!" 

Uttering  these  words,  he  shook  the  bridle;  and  Pegasus 
darted  down  aslant,  as  swift  as  the  flight  of  an  arrow, 
right  toward  the  Chimaera's  threefold  head,  which,  all 
this  time,  was  poking  itself  as  high  as  it  could  into  the 
air.  As  he  came  within  arm's  length,  Bellerophon 
made  a  cut  at  the  monster,  but  was  carried  onward 
by  his  steed,  before  he  could  see  whether  the  blow  had 
been  successful.  Pegasus  continued  his  course,  but  soon 
wheeled  round,  at  about  the  same  distance  from  the 
Chimaera  as  before.  Bellerophon  then  perceived  that 
he  had  cut  the  goat's  head  of  the  monster  almost  off,  so 
that  it  dangled  downward  by  the  skin,  and  seemed  quite 
dead. 

But,  to  make  amends,  the  snake's  head  and  the  lion's 
head  had  taken  all  the  fierceness  of  the  dead  one  into 
themselves,  and  spit  flame,  and  hissed,  and  roared,  with  a 
vast  deal  more  fury  than  before, 

"Never  mind,  my  brave  Pegasus!"  cried  Bellerophon. 
"With  another  stroke  like  that,  we  will  stop  either  its 
hissing  or  its  roaring." 

And  again  he  shook  the  bridle.  Dashing  aslant- 
wise,  as  before,  the  winged  horse  made  another  arrow- 
flight  toward  the  Chimaera,  and  Bellerophon  aimed 


The  Chim&ra  87 

another  downright  stroke  at  one  of  the  two  remaining 
heads,  as  he  shot  by.  But  this  time,  neither  he  nor 
Pegasus  escaped  so  well  as  at  first.  With  one  of  its 
claws,  the  Chimaera  had  given  the  young  man  a  deep 
scratch  in  his  shoulder,  and  had  slightly  damaged  the 
left  wing  of  the  flying  steed  with  the  other.  On  his 
part,  Bellerophon  had  mortally  wounded  the  lion's 
head  of  the  monster,  insomuch  that  it  now  hung  down 
ward,  with  its  fire  almost  extinguished,  and  sending 
out  gasps  of  thick  black  smoke.  The  snake's  head, 
however  (which  was  the  only  one  now  left),  was  twice 
as  fierce  and  venomous  as  ever  before.  It  belched 
forth  shoots  of  fire  five  hundred  yards  long,  and  emitted 
hisses  so  loud,  so  harsh,  and  so  ear-piercing,  that  King 
lobates  heard  them,  fifty  miles  off,  and  trembled  till  the 
throne  shook  under  him. 

"Well-a-day!"  thought  the  poor  king;  "the  Chimaera 
is  certainly  coming  to  devour  me!" 

Meanwhile  Pegasus  had  again  paused  in  the  air, 
and  neighed  angrily,  while  sparkles  of  a  pure  crystal 
flame  darted  out  of  his  eyes.  How  unlike  the  lurid 
fire  of  the  Chimaera!  The  aerial  steed's  spirit  was  all 
aroused,  and  so  was  that  of  Bellerophon. 

"Dost  thou  bleed,  my  immortal  horse?"  cried  the 
young  man,  caring  less  for  his  own  hurt  than  for  the 
anguish  of  this  glorious  creature,  that  ought  never  to 
have  tasted  pain.  "The  execrable  Chimaera  shall  pay 
for  this  mischief  with  his  last  head!" 

Then  he  shook  the  bridle,  shouted  loudly,  and  guided 
Pegasus,  not  aslantwise  as  before,  but  straight  at  the 
monster's  hideous  front.  So  rapid  was  the  onset  that 
it  seemed  but  a  dazzle  and  a  flash  before  Bellerophon 
was  at  close  gripes  with  his  enemy. 


88  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

The  Chimera,  by  this  time,  after  losing  its  second 
head,  had  got  into  a  red-hot  passion  of  pain  and  ram 
pant  rage.  It  so  flounced  about,  half  on  earth  and 
partly  in  the  air,  that  it  was  impossible  to  say  which 
element  it  rested  upon.  It  opened  its  snake  jaws  to 
such  an  abominable  width,  that  Pegasus  might  almost, 
I  was  going  to  say,  have  flown  right  down  its  throat, 
wings  outspread,  rider  and  all!  At  their  approach  it 
shot  out  a  tremendous  blast  of  its  fiery  breath,  and  envel 
oped  Bellerophon  and  his  steed  in  a  perfect  atmosphere 
of  flame,  singeing  the  wings  of  Pegasus,  scorching  off 
one  whole  side  of  the  young  man's  golden  ringlets,  and 
making  them  both  far  hotter  than  was  comfortable,  from 
head  to  foot. 

But  this  was  nothing  to  what  followed. 

When  the  airy  rush  of  the  winged  horse  had  brought 
him  within  the  distance  of  a  hundred  yards,  the  Chimsera 
gave  a  spring,  and  flung  its  huge,  awkward,  venomous, 
and  utterly  detestable  carcass  right  upon  poor  Pegasus, 
clung  round  him  with  might  and  main,  and  tied  up  its 
snaky  tail  into  a  knot!  Up  flew  the  aerial  steed,  higher, 
higher,  higher,  above  the  mountain-peak,  above  the 
clouds,  and  almost  out  of  sight  of  the  solid  earth.  But 
still  the  earth-born  monster  kept  its  hold,  and  was  borne 
upward,  along  with  the  creature  of  light  and  air.  Bel 
lerophon,  meanwhile,  turning  about,  found  himself  face 
to  face  with  the  ugly  grimness  of  the  Chimaera's  visage, 
and  could  only  avoid  being  scorched  to  death,  or  bitten 
right  in  twain,  by  holding  up  his  shield.  Over  the  upper 
edge  of  the  shield,  he  looked  sternly  into  the  savage  eyes 
of  the  monster. 

But  the  Chimaera  was  so  mad  and  wild  with  pain 
that  it  did  not  guard  itself  so  well  as  might  else  have 


The  Chinuzra  89 

been  the  case.  Perhaps,  after  all,  the  best  way  to  fight 
a  Chimaera  is  by  getting  as  close  to  it  as  you  can.  In 
its  efforts  to  stick  its  horrible  iron  claws  into  its  enemy 
the  creature  left  its  own  breast  quite  exposed;  and  per 
ceiving  this,  Bellerophon  thrust  his  sword  up  to  the  hilt 
into  its  cruel  heart.  Immediately  the  snaky  tail  untied 
its  knot.  The  monster  let  go  its  hold  of  Pegasus,  and 
fell  from  that  vast  height  downward;  while  the  fire 
within  its  bosom,  instead  of  being  put  out,  burned 
fiercer  than  ever,  and  quickly  began  to  consume  the 
dead  carcass.  Thus  it  fell  out  of  the  sky,  all  a-flame, 
and  (it  being  nightfall  before  it  reached  the  earth)  was 
mistaken  for  a  shooting  star  or  a  comet.  But,  at  early 
sunrise,  some  cottagers  were  going  to  their  day's  labour, 
and  saw,  to  their  astonishment,  that  several  acres  of 
ground  were  strewn  with  black  ashes.  In  the  middle 
of  a  field,  there  was  a  heap  of  whitened  bones,  a  great 
deal  higher  than  a  haystack.  Nothing  else  was  ever 
seen  of  the  dreadful  Chimaera! 

And  when  Bellerophon  had  won  the  victory,  he  bent 
forward  and  kissed  Pegasus,  while  the  tears  stood  in 
his  eyes. 

"Back  now,  my  beloved  steed!"  said  he.  "Back 
to  the  Fountain  of  Pirene!" 

Pegasus  skimmed  through  the  air,  quicker  than  ever 
he  did  before,  and  reached  the  fountain  in  a  very  short 
time.  And  there  he  found  the  old  man  leaning  on  his 
staff,  and  the  country  fellow  watering  his  cow,  and  the 
pretty  maiden  filling  her  pitcher. 

"I  remember  now,"  quoth  the  old  man,  "I  saw  this 
winged  horse  once  before,  when  I  was  quite  a  lad.  But 
he  was  ten  times  handsomer  in  those  days." 

"I  own  a  cart  horse  worth  three  of  him!"  said  the 


90  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

country  fellow.  "If  this  pony  were  mine,  the  first  thing 
I  should  do  would  be  to  clip  his  wings!" 

But  the  poor  maiden  said  nothing,  for  she  had  always 
the  luck  to  be  afraid  at  the  wrong  time.  So  she  ran 
away,  and  let  her  pitcher  tumble  down,  and  broke  it. 

"Where  is  the  gentle  child,"  asked  Bellerophon,  "who 
used  to  keep  me  company,  and  never  lost  his  faith,  and 
never  was  weary  of  gazing  into  the  fountain?" 

"Here  am  I,  dear  Bellerophon  1"  said  the  child,  softly. 

For  the  little  boy  had  spent  day  after  day  on  the 
margin  of  Pirene,  waiting  for  his  friend  to  come  back; 
but  when  he  perceived  Bellerophon  descending  through 
the  clouds,  mounted  on  the  winged  horse,  he  had  shrunk 
back  into  the  shrubbery.  He  was  a  delicate  and  tender 
child,  and  dreaded  lest  the  old  man  and  the  country 
fellow  should  see  the  tears  gushing  from  his  eyes. 

"Thou  hast  won  the  victory,"  said  he,  joyfully,  run 
ning  to  the  knee  of  Bellerophon,  who  still  sat  on  the 
back  of  Pegasus.  "I  knew  thou  wouldst." 

"Yes,  dear  child  I"  replied  Bellerophon,  alighting 
from  the  winged  horse.  "But  if  thy  faith  had  not 
helped  me,  I  should  never  have  waited  for  Pegasus, 
and  never  have  gone  up  above  the  clouds,  and  never 
have  conquered  the  terrible  Chimaera.  Thou,  my  be 
loved  little  friend,  hast  done  it  all.  And  now  let  us 
give  Pegasus  his  liberty." 

So  he  slipped  off  the  enchanted  bridle  from  the  head 
of  the  marvellous  steed. 

"Be  free,  forevermore,  my  Pegasus!"  cried  he,  with 
a  shade  of  sadness  in  his  tone.  "Be  as  free  as  thou 
art  fleet!" 

But  Pegasus  rested  his  head  on  Bellerophon's  shoul 
der,  and  would  not  be  persuaded  to  take  flight. 


The  Chim&ra  91 

"Well  then,"  said  Bellerophon,  caressing  the  airy 
horse,  "thou  shalt  be  with  me  as  long  as  thou  wilt; 
and  we  will  go  together,  forthwith,  and  tell  King  lobates 
that  the  Chimasra  is  destroyed." 

Then  Bellerophon  embraced  the  gentle  child,  and 
promised  to  come  to  him  again,  and  departed.  But,  in 
after  years,  that  child  took  higher  flights  upon  the  aerial 
steed  than  ever  did  Bellerophon,  and  achieved  more  hon 
ourable  deeds  than  his  friend's  victory  over  the  Chimaera. 
For,  gentle  and  tender  as  he  was,  he  grew  to  be  a  mighty 
poet ! 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE  GOLDEN  TOUCH 

ONCE  upon  a  time,  there  lived  a  very  rich  man,  and  a 
king  besides,  whose  name  was  Midas;  and  he  had  a 
little  daughter,  whom  nobody  but  myself  ever  heard  of, 
and  whose  name  I  either  never  knew,  or  have  entirely 
forgotten.  So,  because  I  love  odd  names  for  little  girls, 
I  choose  to  call  her  Marygold. 

This  King  Midas  was  fonder  of  gold  than  of  any 
thing  else  in  the  world.  He  valued  his  royal  crown 
chiefly  because  it  was  composed  of  that  precious  metal. 
If  he  loved  anything  better,  or  half  so  well,  it  was  the 
one  little  maiden  who  played  so  merrily  around  her 
father's  footstool.  But  the  more  Midas  loved  his 
daughter,  the  more  did  he  desire  and  seek  for  wealth. 
He  thought,  foolish  man!  that  the  best  thing  he  could 
possibly  do  for  this  dear  child  would  be  to  bequeath 
her  the  immensest  pile  of  yellow,  glistening  coin,  that 
had  ever  been  heaped  together  since  the  world  was 
made.  Thus,  he  gave  all  his  thoughts  and  all  his  time 
to  this  one  purpose.  If  ever  he  happened  to  gaze  for 
an  instant  at  the  gold-tinted  clouds  of  sunset,  he  wished 
that  they  were  real  gold,  and  that  they  could  be  squeezed 
safely  into  his  strong  box.  When  little  Marygold  ran 
to  meet  him,  with  a  bunch  of  buttercups  and  dandelions, 
he  used  to  say,  "Poh,  poh,  child!  If  these  flowers  were  as 
golden  as  they  look,  they  would  be  worth  the  plucking!" 

9* 


The  Golden  Touch  93 

And  yet,  in  his  earlier  days,  before  he  was  so  entirely 
possessed  of  this  insane  desire  for  riches,  King  Midas 
had  shown  a  great  taste  for  flowers.  He  had  planted  a 
garden,  in  which  grew  the  biggest  and  beautifullest  and 
sweetest  roses  that  any  mortal  ever  saw  or  smelt.  These 
roses  were  still  growing  in  the  garden,  as  large,  as  lovely, 
and  as  fragrant  as  when  Midas  used  to  pass  whole  hours 
in  gazing  at  them,  and  inhaling  their  perfume.  But 
now,  if  he  looked  at  them  at  all,  it  was  only  to  calculate 
how  much  the  garden  would  be  worth  if  each  of  the 
innumerable  rose  petals  were  a  thin  plate  of  gold.  And 
though  he  once  was  fond  of  music  (in  spite  of  an  idle 
story  about  his  ears,  which  were  said  to  resemble  those 
of  an  ass),  the  only  music  for  poor  Midas,  now,  was  the 
chink  of  one  coin  against  another. 

At  length  (as  people  always  grow  more  and  more 
foolish,  unless  they  take  care  to  grow  wiser  and  wiser), 
Midas  had  got  to  be  so  exceedingly  unreasonable  that 
he  could  scarcely  bear  to  see  or  touch  any  object  that 
was  not  gold.  He  made  it  his  custom,  therefore,  to 
pass  a  large  portion  of  every  day  in  a  dark  and  dreary 
apartment,  under  ground,  at  the  basement  of  his  pal 
ace.  It  was  here  that  he  kept  his  wealth.  To  this 
dismal  hole — for  it  was  little  better  than  a  dungeon — 
Midas  betook  himself,  whenever  he  wanted  to  be  par 
ticularly  happy.  Here,  after  carefully  locking  the  door, 
he  would  take  a  bag  of  gold  coin,  or  a  gold  cup  as  big 
as  a  washbowl,  or  a  heavy  golden  bar,  or  a  peck  measure 
of  gold  dust,  and  bring  them  from  the  obscure  corners 
of  the  room  into  the  one  bright  and  narrow  sunbeam 
that  fell  from  the  dungeon-like  window.  He  valued  the 
sunbeam  for  no  other  reason  but  that  his  treasure  would 
not  shine  without  its  help.  And  then  would  he  reckon 


94  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

over  the  coins  in  the  bag;  toss  up  the  bar,  and  catch  it 
as  it  came  down;  sift  the  gold  dust  through  his  fingers; 
look  at  the  funny  image  of  his  own  face,  as  reflected 
in  the  burnished  circumference  of  the  cup,  and  whisper 
to  himself,  "O  Midas,  rich  King  Midas,  what  a  happy 
man  art  thou!"  But  it  was  laughable  to  see  how  the 
image  of  his  face  kept  grinning  at  him,  out  of  the  polished 
surface  of  the  cup.  It  seemed  to  be  aware  of  his  foolish 
behaviour,  and  to  have  a  naughty  inclination  to  make 
fun  of  him 

Midas  called  himself  a  happy  man,  but  felt  that  he 
was  not  yet  quite  so  happy  as  he  might  be.  The  very 
tiptop  of  enjoyment  would  never  be  reached,  unless  the 
whole  world  were  to  become  his  treasure  room,  and  be 
filled  with  yellow  metal  which  should  be  all  his  own. 

Now,  I  need  hardly  remind  such  wise  little  people 
as  you  are,  that  in  the  old,  old  times,  when  King  Midas 
was  alive,  a  great  many  things  came  to  pass,  which  we 
should  consider  wonderful  if  they  were  to  happen  in 
our  own  day  and  country.  And,  on  the  other  hand,  a 
great  many  things  take  place  nowadays,  which  seem  not 
only  wonderful  to  us,  but  at  which  the  people  of  old 
times  would  have  stared  their  eyes  out.  On  the  whole, 
I  regard  our  own  times  as  the  strangest  of  the  two;  but, 
however  that  may  be,  I  must  go  on  with  my  story. 

Midas  was  enjoying  himself  in  his  treasure  room, 
one  day,  as  usual,  when  he  perceived  a  shadow  fall 
over  the  heaps  of  gold;  and,  looking  suddenly  up, 
what  should  he  behold  but  the  figure  of  a  stranger, 
standing  in  the  bright  and  narrow  sunbeam!  It  was 
a  young  man,  with  a  cheerful  and  ruddy  face.  Whether 
it  was  that  the  imagination  of  King  Midas  threw  a 
yellow  tinge  over  everything,  or  whatever  the  cause 


The  Golden  Touch  95 

might  be,  he  could  not  help  fancying  that  the  smile 
with  which  the  stranger  regarded  him  had  a  kind  of 
golden  radiance  in  it.  Certainly,  although  his  figure 
intercepted  the  sunshine,  there  was  now  a  brighter  gleam 
upon  all  the  piled-up  treasures  than  before.  Even  the 
remotest  corners  had  their  share  of  it,  and  were  lighted 
up,  when  the  stranger  smiled,  as  with  tips  of  flame  and 
sparkles  of  fire. 

As  Midas  knew  that  he  had  carefully  turned  the 
key  in  the  lock,  and  that  no  mortal  strength  could  pos 
sibly  break  into  his  treasure  room,  he,  of  course,  con 
cluded  that  his  visitor  must  be  something  more  than 
mortal.  It  is  no  matter  about  telling  you  who  he  was. 
In  those  days,  when  the  earth  was  comparatively  a  new 
affair,  it  was  supposed  to  be  often  the  resort  of  beings 
endowed  with  supernatural  power,  and  who  used  to 
interest  themselves  in  the  joys  and  sorrows  of  men, 
women,  and  children,  half  playfully  and  half  seriously. 
Midas  had  met  such  beings  before  now,  and  was  not 
sorry  to  meet  one  of  them  again.  The  stranger's  aspect, 
indeed,  was  so  good  humoured  and  kindly,  if  not  benefi 
cent,  that  it  would  have  been  unreasonable  to  suspect 
him  of  intending  any  mischief.  It  was  far  more  prob 
able  that  he  came  to  do  Midas  a  favour.  And  what 
could  that  favour  be,  unless  to  multiply  his  heaps  of 
treasure  ? 

The  stranger  gazed  about  the  room;  and  when  his 
lustrous  smile  had  glistened  upon  all  the  golden  objects 
that  were  there,  he  turned  again  to  Midas. 

"You  are  a  wealthy  man,  friend  Midas!"  he  observed. 
"I  doubt  whether  any  other  four  walls,  on  earth,  contain 
so  much  gold  as  you  have  contrived  to  pile  up  in  this 
room." 


96  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

"I  have  done  pretty  well — pretty  well,"  answered 
Midas,  in  a  discontented  tone.  "But,  after  all,  it  is 
but  a  trifle,  when  you  consider  that  it  has  taken  me 
my  whole  life  to  get  it  together.  If  one  could  live  a 
thousand  years,  he  might  have  time  to  grow  rich!" 

"What!"  exclaimed  the  stranger.  "Then  you  are 
not  satisfied?" 

Midas  shook  his  head. 

"And  pray  what  would  satisfy  you?"  asked  the 
stranger.  "Merely  for  the  curiosity  of  the  thing,  I 
should  be  glad  to  know." 

Midas  paused  and  meditated.  He  felt  a  presenti 
ment  that  this  stranger,  with  such  a  golden  lustre  in 
his  good-humoured  smile,  had  come  hither  with  both 
the  power  and  the  purpose  of  gratifying  his  utmost 
wishes.  Now,  therefore,  was  the  fortunate  moment, 
when  he  had  but  to  speak,  and  obtain  whatever  possi 
ble,  or  seemingly  impossible  thing,  it  might  come  into 
his  head  to  ask.  So  he  thought,  and  thought,  and 
thought,  and  heaped  up  one  golden  mountain  upon 
another,  in  his  imagination,  without  being  able  to  imagine 
them  big  enough.  At  last,  a  bright  idea  occurred  to 
King  Midas.  It  seemed  really  as  bright  as  the  glisten 
ing  metal  which  he  loved  so  much. 

Raising  his  head,  he  looked  the  lustrous  stranger  in 
the  face. 

"Well,  Midas,"  observed  his  visitor,  "I  see  that 
you  have  at  length  hit  upon  something  that  will  satisfy 
you.  Tell  me  your  wish." 

"It  is  only  this,"  replied  Midas.  "I  am  weary  of 
collecting  my  treasures  with  so  much  trouble,  and  behold 
ing  the  heap  so  diminutive,  after  I  have  done  my  best. 
I  wish  everything  that  I  touch  to  be  changed  to  gold!" 


The  Golden  Touch  97 

The  stranger's  smile  grew  so  very  broad,  that  it  seemed 
to  fill  the  room  like  an  outburst  of  the  sun,  gleaming 
into  a  shadowy  dell,  where  the  yellow  autumnal  leaves — 
for  so  looked  the  lumps  and  particles  of  gold — lie  strewn 
in  the  glow  of  light. 

"The  Golden  Touch!"  exclaimed  he.  "You  cer 
tainly  deserve  credit,  friend  Midas,  for  striking  out  so 
brilliant  a  conception.  But  are  you  quite  sure  that 
this  will  satisfy  you  ?  " 

"How  could  it  fail?"  said  Midas. 

"And  will  you  never  regret  the  possession  of  it?" 

"What  could  induce  me?"  asked  Midas.  "I  ask 
nothing  else,  to  render  me  perfectly  happy." 

"Be  it  as  you  wish,  then,"  replied  the  stranger,  waving 
his  hand  in  token  of  farewell.  "To-morrow,  at  sunrise, 
you  will  find  yourself  gifted  with  the  Golden  Touch." 

The  figure  of  the  stranger  then  became  exceedingly 
bright,  and  Midas  involuntarily  closed  his  eyes.  On 
opening  them  again,  he  beheld  only  one  yellow  sun 
beam  in  the  room,  and,  all  around  him,  the  glistening 
of  the  precious  metal  which  he  had  spent  his  life  in 
hoarding  up. 

Whether  Midas  slept  as  usual  that  night,  the  story 
does  not  say.  Asleep  or  awake,  however,  his  mind 
was  probably  in  the  state  of  a  child's,  to  whom  a  beau 
tiful  new  plaything  has  been  promised  in  the  morning. 
At  any  rate,  day  had  hardly  peeped  over  the  hills,  when 
King  Midas  was  broad  awake,  and,  stretching  his  arms 
out  of  bed,  began  to  touch  the  objects  that  were  within 
reach.  He  was  anxious  to  prove  whether  the  Golden 
Touch  had  really  come,  according  to  the  stranger's 
promise.  So  he  laid  his  finger  on  a  chair  by  the  bedside, 
and  on  various  other  things,  but  was  grievously  dis- 


98  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

appointed  to  perceive  that  they  remained  of  exactly  the 
same  substance  as  before.  Indeed,  he  felt  very  much 
afraid  that  he  had  only  dreamed  about  the  lustrous 
stranger,  or  else  that  the  latter  had  been  making  game 
of  him.  And  what  a  miserable  affair  would  it  be,  if, 
after  all  his  hopes,  Midas  must  content  himself  with 
what  little  gold  he  could  scrape  together  by  ordinary 
means,  instead  of  creating  it  by  a  touch! 

All  this  while,  it  was  only  the  gray  of  the  morning, 
with  but  a  streak  of  brightness  along  the  edge  of  the 
sky,  where  Midas  could  not  see  it.  He  lay  in  a  very 
disconsolate  mood,  regretting  the  downfall  of  his  hopes 
and  kept  growing  sadder  and  sadder,  until  the  earliest 
sunbeam  shone  through  the  window,  and  gilded  the 
ceiling  over  his  head.  It  seemed  to  Midas  that  this 
bright  yellow  sunbeam  was  reflected  in  rather  a  singular 
way  on  the  white  covering  of  the  bed.  Looking  more 
closely,  what  was  his  astonishment  and  delight,  when 
he  found  that  this  linen  fabric  had  been  transmuted  to 
what  seemed  a  woven  texture  of  the  purest  and  brightest 
gold  I  The  Golden  Touch  had  come  to  him  with  the 
first  sunbeam! 

Midas  started  up,  in  a  kind  of  joyful  frenzy,  and  ran 
about  the  room,  grasping  at  everything  that  happened 
to  be  in  his  way.  He  seized  one  of  the  bedposts,  and  it 
became  immediately  a  fluted  golden  pillar.  He  pulled 
aside  a  window  curtain,  in  order  to  admit  a  clear  spectacle 
of  the  wonders  which  he  was  performing;  and  the  tassel 
grew  heavy  in  his  hand — a  mass  of  gold.  He  took  up  a 
book  from  the  table.  At  his  first  touch,  it  assumed  the 
appearance  of  such  a  splendidly  bound  and  gilt-edged 
volume  as  one  often  meets  with,  nowadays;  but,  on 
running  his  fingers  through  the  leaves,  behold!  it  was  a 


The  Golden  Touch 


99 


bundle  of  thin  golden  plates,  in  which  all  the  wisdom  of 
the  book  had  grown  illegible.  He  hurriedly  put  on  his 
clothes,  and  was  enraptured  to  see  himself  in  a  magnficent 
suit  of  gold  cloth,  which  retained  its  flexibility  and 
softness,  although  it  burdened  him  a  little  with  its 
weight.  He  drew  out  his  handkerchief,  which  little 
Marygold  had  hemmed  for  him.  That  was  likewise 
gold,  with  the  dear  child's  neat  and  pretty  stitches  running 
all  along  the  border,  in  gold  thread! 

Somehow  or  other,  this  last  transformation  did  not 
quite  please  King  Midas.  He  would  rather  that  his 
little  daughter's  handiwork  should  have  remained  just 
the  same  as  when  she  climbed  his  knee  and  put  it  into 
his  hand. 

But  it  was  not  worth  while  to  vex  himself  about  a 
trifle.  Midas  now  took  his  spectacles  from  his  pocket, 
and  put  them  on  his  nose,  in  order  that  he  might  see 
more  distinctly  what  he  was  about.  In  those  days, 
spectacles  for  common  people  had  not  been  invented, 
but  were  already  worn  by  kings;  else,  how  could  Midas 
have  had  any?  To  his  great  perplexity,  however, 
excellent  as  the  glasses  were,  he  discovered  that  he 
could  not  possibly  see  through  them.  But  this  was 
the  most  natural  thing  in  the  world;  for,  on  taking  them 
off,  the  transparent  crystals  turned  out  to  be  plates  of 
yellow  metal,  and,  of  course,  were  worthless  as  spectacles, 
though  valuable  as  gold.  It  struck  Midas  as  rather 
inconvenient  that,  with  all  his  wealth,  he  could  never 
again  be  rich  enough  to  own  a  pair  of  serviceable  spec 
tacles. 

"It  is  no  great  matter,  nevertheless,"  said  he  to 
himself,  very  philosophically.  "We  cannot  expect 
any  great  good,  without  its  being  accompanied  with 


loo  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

some  small  inconvenience.  The  Golden  Touch  is 
worth  the  sacrifice  of  a  pair  of  spectacles,  at  least,  if 
not  of  one's  very  eyesight.  My  own  eyes  will  serve 
for  ordinary  purposes,  and  little  Marygold  will  soon  be 
old  enough  to  read  to  me." 

Wise  King  Midas  was  so  exalted  by  his  good  fortune, 
that  the  palace  seemed  not  sufficiently  spacious  to  contain 
him.  He  therefore  went  downstairs,  and  smiled,  on 
observing  that  the  balustrade  of  the  staircase  became  a 
bar  of  burnished  gold,  as  his  hand  passed  over  it,  in  his 
descent.  He  lifted  the  doorlatch  (it  was  brass  only  a 
moment  ago,  but  golden  when  his  fingers  quitted  it),  and 
emerged  into  the  garden.  Here,  as  it  happened,  he 
found  a  great  number  of  beautiful  roses  in  full  bloom,  and 
others  in  all  the  stages  of  lovely  bud  and  blossom.  Very 
delicious  was  their  fragrance  in  the  morning  breeze. 
Their  delicate  blush  was  one  of  the  fairest  sights  in  the 
world;  so  gentle,  so  modest,  and  so  full  of  sweet  tran 
quillity,  did  these  roses  seem  to  be. 

But  Midas  knew  a  way  to  make  them  far  more  precious, 
according  to  his  way  of  thinking,  than  roses  had  ever 
been  before.  So  he  took  great  pains  in  going  from 
bush  to  bush,  and  exercised  his  magic  touch  most  inde- 
fatigably;  until  every  individual  flower  and  bud,  and 
even  the  worms  at  the  heart  of  some  of  them,  were 
changed  to  gold.  By  the  time  this  good  work  was 
completed,  King  Midas  was  summoned  to  breakfast;  and 
as  the  morning  air  had  given  him  an  excellent  appetite, 
he  made  haste  back  to  the  palace. 

What  was  usually  a  king's  breakfast  in  the  days  of 
Midas,  I  really  do  not  know,  and  cannot  stop  now  to 
investigate.  To  the  best  of  my  belief,  however,  on  this 
particular  morning,  the  breakfast  consisted  of  hot 


The  Golden  Touch  101 

cakes,  some  nice  little  brook  trout,  roasted  potatoes, 
fresh  boiled  eggs,  and  coffee,  for  King  Midas  himself, 
and  a  bowl  of  bread  and  milk  for  his  daughter  Marygold. 
At  all  events,  this  is  a  breakfast  fit  to  set  before  a  king; 
and,  whether  he  had  it  or  not,  King  Midas  could  not  have 
had  a  better. 

Little  Marygold  had  not  yet  made  her  appearance. 
Her  father  ordered  her  to  be  called,  and,  seating  himself 
at  table,  awaited  the  child's  coming,  in  order  to  begin 
his  own  breakfast.  To  do  Midas  justice,  he  really 
loved  his  daughter,  and  loved  her  so  much  the  more  this 
morning,  on  account  of  the  good  fortune  which  had 
befallen  him.  It  was  not  a  great  while  before  he  heard 
her  coming  along  the  passageway  crying  bitterly.  This 
circumstance  surprised  him,  because  Marygold  was  one 
of  the  cheerfullest  little  people  whom  you  would  see  in  a 
summer's  day,  and  hardly  shed  a  thimbleful  of  tears  in  a 
twelvemonth.  When  Midas  heard  her  sobs,  he  deter 
mined  to  put  little  Marygold  into  better  spirits,  by  an 
agreeable  surprise;  so,  leaning  across  the  table,  he 
touched  his  daughter's  bowl  (which  was  a  china  one,  with 
pretty  figures  all  around  it),  and  transmuted  it  to  gleaming 
gold. 

Meanwhile,  Marygold  slowly  and  disconsolately 
opened  the  door,  and  showed  herself  with  her  apron 
at  her  eyes,  still  sobbing  as  if  her  heart  would  break. 

"How  now,  my  little  lady!"  cried  Midas.  "Pray 
what  is  the  matter  with  you,  this  bright  morning?" 

Marygold,  without  taking  the  apron  from  her  eyes, 
held  out  her  hand,  in  which  was  one  of  the  roses  which 
Midas  had  so  recently  transmuted. 

"Beautiful!"  exclaimed  her  father.  "And  what  is 
there  in  this  magnificent  golden  rose  to  make  you  cry?" 


IO2  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

"Ah,  dear  father!"  answered  the  child,  as  well  as 
her  sobs  would  let  her;  "it  is  not  beautiful,  but  the 
ugliest  flower  that  ever  grew!  As  soon  as  I  was  dressed 
I  ran  into  the  garden  to  gather  some  roses  for  you; 
because  I  know  you  like  them,  and  like  them  the  better 
when  gathered  by  your  little  daughter.  But,  oh  dear, 
dear  me.  What  do  you  think  has  happened  ?  Such  a  mis 
fortune!  All  the  beautiful  roses,  that  smelled  so  sweetly 
and  had  so  many  lovely  blushes,  are  blighted  and  spoilt! 
They  are  grown  quite  yellow,  as  you  see  this  one,  and 
have  no  longer  any  fragrance!  What  can  have  been  the 
matter  with  them?" 

"Poh,  my  dear  little  girl — pray  don't  cry  about  it!" 
said  Midas,  who  was  ashamed  to  confess  that  he  himself 
had  wrought  the  change  which  so  greatly  afflicted  her. 
"Sit  down  and  eat  your  bread  and  milk!  You  will  find 
it  easy  enough  to  exchange  a  golden  rose  like  that  (which 
will  last  hundreds  of  years)  for  an  ordinary  one  which 
would  wither  in  a  day." 

"I  don't  care  for  such  roses  as  this!"  cried  Marygold, 
tossing  it  contemptuously  away.  "It  has  no  smell, 
and  the  hard  petals  prick  my  nose!" 

The  child  now  sat  down  to  table,  but  was  so  occupied 
with  her  grief  for  the  blighted  roses  that  she  did  not 
even  notice  the  wonderful  transmutation  of  her  china 
bowl.  Perhaps  this  was  all  the  better;  for  Marygold 
was  accustomed  to  take  pleasure  in  looking  at  the  queer 
figures,  and  strange  trees  and  houses,  that  were  painted 
on  the  circumference  of  the  bowl;  and  these  ornaments 
were  now  entirely  lost  in  the  yellow  hue  of  the  metal. 

Midas,  meanwhile,  had  poured  out  a  cup  of  coffee,  and, 
as  a  matter  of  course,  the  coffe-pot,  whatever  metal  it 
may  have  been  when  he  took  it  up,  was  gold  when  he  set 


The  Golden  Touch  103 

it  down.  He  thought  to  himself,  that  it  was  rather  an 
extravagant  style  of  splendour,  in  a  king  of  his  simple 
habits,  to  breakfast  off  a  service  of  gold,  and  began  to  be 
puzzled  with  the  difficulty  of  keeping  his  treasures 
safe.  The  cupboard  and  the  kitchen  would  no  longer 
be  a  secure  place  of  deposit  for  articles  so  valuable  as 
golden  bowls  and  coffee-pots. 

Amid  these  thoughts,  he  lifted  a  spoonful  of  coffee  to 
his  lips,  and,  sipping  it,  was  astonished  to  perceive  that, 
the  instant  his  lips  touched  the  liquid,  it  became  molten 
gold,  and,  the  next  moment,  hardened  into  a  lump! 

"Ha!"  exclaimed  Midas,  rather  aghast. 

"What  is  the  matter,  father?"  asked  little  Mary- 
gold,  gazing  at  him,  with  the  tears  still  standing  in 
her  eyes. 

"Nothing,  child,  nothing!"  said  Midas.  "Eat  your 
milk,  before  it  gets  quite  cold." 

He  took  one  of  the  nice  little  trouts  on  his  plate,  and, 
by  way  of  experiment,  touched  its  tail  with  his  finger. 
To  his  horror,  it  was  immediately  transmuted  from  an 
admirably  fried  brook  trout  into  a  gold-fish,  though 
not  one  of  those  gold-fishes  which  people  often  keep  in 
glass  globes,  as  ornaments  for  the  parlour.  No;  but  it 
was  really  a  metallic  fish,  and  looked  as  if  it  had  been 
very  cunningly  made  by  the  nicest  goldsmith  in  the  world. 
Its  little  bones  were  now  golden  wires;  its  fins  and  tail 
were  thin  plates  of  gold;  and  there  were  the  marks  of  the 
fork  in  it,  and  all  the  delicate,  frothy  appearance  of  a 
nicely  fried  fish,  exactly  imitated  in  metal.  A  very  pretty 
piece  of  work,  as  you  may  suppose;  only  King  Midas, 
just  at  that  moment,  would  much  rather  have  had  a 
real  trout  in  his  dish  than  this  elaborate  and  valuable 
imitation  of  one. 


IO4  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

"I  don't  quite  see,"  thought  he  to  himself,  "how  I 
am  to  get  any  breakfast!" 

He  took  one  of  the  smoking-hot  cakes,  and  had 
scarcely  broken  it,  when,  to  his  cruel  mortification, 
though,  a  moment  before,  it  had  been  of  the  whitest 
wheat,  it  assumed  the  yellow  hue  of  Indian  meal.  To 
say  the  truth,  if  it  had  really  been  a  hot  Indian  cake, 
Midas  would  have  prized  it  a  good  deal  more  than  he 
now  did,  when  its  solidity  and  increased  weight  made  him 
too  bitterly  sensible  that  it  was  gold.  Almost  in  despair, 
he  helped  himself  to  a  boiled  egg,  which  immediately 
underwent  a  change  similar  to  those  of  the  trout  and  the 
cake.  The  egg,  indeed,  might  have  been  mistaken  for 
one  of  those  which  the  famous  goose,  in  the  story  book, 
was  in  the  habit  of  laying;  but  King  Midas  was  the  only 
goose  that  had  had  anything  to  do  with  the  matter. 

"Well,  this  is  a  quandary!"  thought  he,  leaning 
back  in  his  chair,  and  looking  quite  enviously  at  little 
Marygold,  who  was  now  eating  her  bread  and  milk 
with  great  satisfaction.  "Such  a  costly  breakfast 
before  me,  and  nothing  that  can  be  eaten!" 

Hoping  that,  by  dint  of  great  dispatch,  he  might 
avoid  what  he  now  felt  to  be  a  considerable  inconvenience, 
King  Midas  next  snatched  a  hot  potato,  and  attempted 
to  cram  it  into  his  mouth,  and  swallow  it  in  a  hurry. 
But  the  Golden  Touch  was  too  nimble  for  him.  He 
found  his  mouth  full,  not  of  mealy  potato,  but  of  solid 
metal,  which  so  burnt  his  tongue  that  he  roared  aloud, 
and,  jumping  up  from  the  table,  began  to  dance  and 
stamp  about  the  room,  both  with  pain  and  affright. 

"Father,  dear  father!"  cried  little  Marygold,  who 
was  a  very  affectionate  child,  "pray  what  is  the  matter? 
Have  you  burnt  your  mouth?" 


The  Golden  Touch  105 

"Ah,  dear  child,"  groaned  Midas,  dolefully,  "I 
don't  know  what  is  to  become  of  your  poor  father!" 

And,  truly,  my  dear  little  folks,  did  you  ever  hear  of 
such  a  pitiable  case  in  all  your  lives  ?  Here  was  literally 
the  richest  breakfast  that  could  be  set  before  a  kingj  and 
its  very  richness  made  it  absolutely  good  for  nothing. 
The  poorest  labourer,  sitting  down  to  his  crust  of  bread 
and  cup  of  water,  was  far  better  off  than  King  Midas, 
whose  delicate  food  was  really  worth  its  weight  in  gold. 
And  what  was  to  be  done  ?  Already,  at  breakfast,  Midas 
was  excessively  hungry.  Would  he  be  less  so  by  dinner 
time?  And  how  ravenous  would  be  his  appetite  for 
supper,  which  must  undoubtedly  consist  of  the  same 
sort  of  indigestible  dishes  as  those  now  before  him! 
How  many  days,  think  you,  would  he  survive  a  continu 
ance  of  this  rich  fare  ? 

These  reflections  so  troubled  wise  King  Midas,  that 
he  began  to  doubt  whether,  after  all,  riches  are  the  one 
desirable  thing  in  the  world,  or  even  the  most  desirable. 
But  this  was  only  a  passing  thought.  So  fascinated 
was  Midas  with  the  glitter  of  the  yellow  metal,  that  he 
would  still  have  refused  to  give  up  the  Golden  Touch 
for  so  paltry  a  consideration  as  a  breakfast.  Just 
imagine  what  a  price  for  one  meal's  victuals!  It  would 
have  been  the  same  as  paying  millions  and  millions  of 
money  (and  as  many  millions  more  as  would  take  forever 
to  reckon  up)  for  some  fried  trout,  an  egg,  a  potato,  a  hot 
cake,  and  a  cup  of  coffee! 

"It  would  be  quite  too  dear,"  thought  Midas. 

Nevertheless,  so  great  was  his  hunger,  and  the  perplexity 
of  his  situation,  that  he  again  groaned  aloud,  and  very 
grievously,  too.  Our  pretty  Marygold  could  endure  it  no 
longer.  She  sat,  a  moment,  gazing  at  her  father,  and 


io6  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

trying,  with  all  the  might  of  her  little  wits,  to  find  out 
what  was  the  matter  with  him.  Then,  with  a  sweet  and 
sorrowful  impulse  to  comfort  him,  she  started  from  her 
chair,  and,  running  to  Midas,  threw  her  arms  affection 
ately  about  his  knees.  He  bent  down  and  kissed  her. 
He  felt  that  his  little  daughter's  love  was  worth  a  thousand 
times  more  than  he  had  gained  by  the  Golden  Touch. 

"My  precious,  precious  Marygold!"  cried  he. 

But  Marygold  made  no  answer. 

Alas,  what  had  he  done?  How  fatal  was  the  gift 
which  the  stranger  bestowed!  The  moment  the  lips 
of  Midas  touched  Marygold's  forehead,  a  change  had 
taken  place.  Her  sweet,  rosy  face,  so  full  of  affection 
as  it  had  been,  assumed  a  glittering  yellow  colour,  with 
yellow  tear-drops  congealing  on  her  cheeks.  Her 
beautiful  brown  ringlets  took  the  same  tint.  Her  soft 
and  tender  little  form  grew  hard  and  inflexible  within 
her  father's  encircling  arms.  Oh,  terrible  misfortune! 
The  victim  of  his  insatiable  desire  for  wealth,  little 
Marygold  was  a  human  child  no  longer,  but  a  golden 
statue! 

Yes,  there  she  was,  with  the  questioning  look  of  love, 
grief,  and  pity,  hardened  into  her  face.  It  was  the 
prettiest  and  most  woeful  sight  that  ever  mortal  saw. 
All  the  features  and  tokens  of  Marygold  were  there; 
even  the  beloved  little  dimple  remained  in  her  golden 
chin.  But,  the  more  perfect  was  the  resemblance,  the 
greater  was  the  father's  agony  at  beholding  this  golden 
image,  which  was  all  that  was  left  him  of  a  daughter. 
It  had  been  a  favourite  phrase  of  Midas,  whenever  he 
felt  particularly  fond  of  the  child,  to  say  that  she  was 
worth  her  weight  in  gold.  And  now  the  phrase  had 
become  literally  true.  And,  now,  at  last,  when  it  was 


The  Golden  Touch  107 

too  late,  he  felt  how  infinitely  a  warm  and  tender  heart, 
that  loved  him,  exceeded  in  value  all  the  wealth  that 
could  be  piled  up  betwixt  the  earth  and  sky! 

It  would  be  too  sad  a  story,  if  I  were  to  tell  you  how 
Midas,  in  the  fulness  of  all  his  gratified  desires,  began 
to  wring  his  hands  and  bemoan  himself;  and  how  he 
could  neither  bear  to  look  at  Marygold,  nor  yet  to  look 
away  from  her.  Except  when  his  eyes  were  fixed  on 
the  image,  he  could  not  possibly  believe  that  she  was 
changed  to  gold.  But,  stealing  another  glance,  there 
was  the  precious  little  figure,  with  a  yellow  tear-drop 
on  its  yellow  cheek,  and  a  look  so  piteous  and  tender, 
that  it  seemed  as  if  that  very  expression  must  needs 
soften  the  gold,  and  make  it  flesh  again.  This,  how 
ever,  could  not  be.  So  Midas  had  only  to  wring  his 
hands,  and  to  wish  that  he  were  the  poorest  man  in 
the  wide  world,  if  the  loss  of  all  his  wealth  might  bring 
back  the  faintest  rose  colour  to  his  dear  child's  face. 

While  he  was  in  this  tumult  of  despair,  he  suddenly 
beheld  a  stranger  standing  near  the  door.  Midas  bent 
down  his  head,  without  speaking;  for  he  recognised 
the  same  figure  which  had  appeared  to  him,  the  day 
before,  in  the  treasure-room,  and  had  bestowed  on  him 
this  disastrous  faculty  of  the  Golden  Touch.  The 
stranger's  countenance  still  wore  a  smile,  which  seemed 
to  shed  a  yellow  lustre  all  about  the  room,  and  gleamed 
on  little  Marygold's  image,  and  on  the  other  objects 
that  had  been  transmuted  by  the  touch  of  Midas. 

"Well,  friend  Midas,"  said  the  stranger,  "pray  how 
do  you  succeed  with  the  Golden  Touch?" 

Midas  shook  his  head. 

"I  am  very  miserable,"  said  he. 

"Very  miserable,   indeed!"  exclaimed  the  stranger, 


io8  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

"Aiid  how  happens  that?  Have  I  not  faithfully  kept 
my  promise  with  you?  Have  you  not  everything  that 
your  heart  desired?" 

"Gold  is  not  everything,"  answered  Midas.  "And 
I  have  lost  all  that  my  heart  really  cared  for." 

"Ah!  So  you  have  made  a  discovery,  since  yester 
day  ? "  observed  the  stranger.  "Let  us  see,  then.  Which 
of  these  two  things  do  you  think  is  really  worth  the 
most — the  gift  of  the  Golden  Touch,  or  one  cup  of  clear 
cold  water?" 

"O  blessed  water!"  exclaimed  Midas.  "I  will 
never  moisten  my  parched  throat  again!" 

"The  Golden  Touch,"  continued  the  stranger,  "or 
a  crust  of  bread?" 

"A  piece  of  bread,"  answered  Midas,  "is  worth  all 
the  gold  on  earth!" 

"The  Golden  Touch,"  asked  the  stranger,  "or  your 
own  little  Marygold,  warm,  soft,  and  loving  as  she  was 
an  hour  ago?" 

"Oh,  my  child,  my  dear  child!"  cried  poor  Midas, 
wringing  his  hands.  "I  would  not  have  given  that 
one  small  dimple  in  her  chin  for  the  power  of  changing 
this  whole  big  earth  into  a  solid  lump  of  gold!" 

"You  are  wiser  than  you  were,  King  Midas!"  said 
the  stranger,  looking  seriously  at  him.  "Your  own 
heart,  I  perceive,  has  not  been  entirely  changed  from 
flesh  to  gold.  Were  it  so,  your  case  would  indeed  be 
desperate.  But  you  appear  to  be  still  capable  of  under 
standing  that  the  commonest  things,  such  as  lie  within 
everybody's  grasp,  are  more  valuable  than  the  riches 
which  so  many  mortals  sigh  and  struggle  after.  Tell 
me,  now,  do  you  sincerely  desire  to  rid  yourself  of  this 
Golden  Touch?" 


The  Golden  Touch  109 

"It  is  hateful  to  me!"  replied  Midas. 

A  fly  settled  on  his  nose,  but  immediately  fell  to  the 
floor;  for  it,  too,  had  become  gold.  Midas  shuddered. 

"Go,  then,"  said  the  stranger,  "and  plunge  into  the 
river  that  glides  past  the  bottom  of  your  garden.  Take 
likewise  a  vase  of  the  same  water,  and  sprinkle  it  over 
any  object  that  you  may  desire  to  change  back  again 
from  gold  into  its  former  substance.  If  you  do  this  in 
earnestness  and  sincerity,  it  may  possibly  repair  the 
mischief  which  your  avarice  has  occasioned." 

King  Midas  bowed  low;  and  when  he  lifted  his  head, 
the  lustrous  stranger  had  vanished. 

You  will  easily  believe  that  Midas  lost  no  time  in 
snatching  up  a  great  earthen  pitcher  (but,  alas  me! 
it  was  no  longer  earthen  after  he  touched  it),  and  hasten 
ing  to  the  river-side.  As  he  scampered  along,  and 
forced  his  way  through  the  shrubbery,  it  was  positively 
marvellous  to  see  how  the  foliage  turned  yellow  behind 
him,  as  if  the  autumn  had  been  there,  and  nowhere  else. 
On  reaching  the  river's  brink,  he  plunged  headlong  in, 
without  waiting  so  much  as  to  pull  off  his  shoes. 

"Poof!  poof!  poof!"  snorted  King  Midas,  as  his  head 
emerged  out  of  the  water.  "Well;  this  is  really  a  re 
freshing  bath,  and  I  think  it  must  have  quite  washed 
away  the  Golden  Touch.  And  now  for  filling  my 
pitcher!" 

As  he  dipped  the  pitcher  into  the  water,  it  gladdened 
his  very  heart  to  see  it  change  from  gold  into  the  same 
good,  honest  earthen  vessel  which  it  had  been  before  he 
touched  it.  He  was  conscious,  also,  of  a  change  within 
himself.  A  cold,  hard,  and  heavy  weight  seemed 
to  have  gone  out  of  his  bosom.  No  doubt,  his  heart 
had  been  gradually  losing  its  human  substance,  and 


no  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

transmuting  itself  into  insensible  metal,  but  had  now 
softened  back  again  into  flesh.  Perceiving  a  violet, 
that  grew  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  Midas  touched  it  with 
his  finger,  and  was  overjoyed  to  find  that  the  delicate 
flower  retained  its  purple  hue,  instead  of  undergoing  a 
yellow  blight.  The  curse  of  the  Golden  Touch  had, 
therefore,  really  been  removed  from  him. 

King  Midas  hastened  back  to  the  palace;  and,  I 
suppose,  the  servants  knew  not  what  to  make  of  it  when 
they  saw  their  royal  master  so  carefully  bringing  home 
an  earthen  pitcher  of  water.  But  that  water,  which  was 
to  undo  all  the  mischief  that  his  folly  had  wrought,  was 
more  precious  to  Midas  than  an  ocean  of  molten  gold 
could  have  been.  The  first  thing  he  did,  as  you  need 
hardly  be  told,  was  to  sprinkle  it  by  handfuls  over  the 
golden  figure  of  little  Marygold. 

No  sooner  did  it  fall  on  her  than  you  would  have 
laughed  to  see  how  the  rosy  colour  came  back  to  the 
dear  child's  cheek!  and  how  she  began  to  sneeze  and 
sputter! — and  how  astonished  she  was  to  find  herself 
dripping  wet,  and  her  father  still  throwing  more  water 
over  her! 

"Pray  do  not,  dear  father!"  cried  she.  "See  how 
you  have  wet  my  nice  frock,  which  I  put  on  only  this 
morning!" 

For  Marygold  did  not  know  that  she  had  been  a  little 
golden  statue;  nor  could  she  remember  anything  that  had 
happened  since  the  moment  when  she  ran  with  out 
stretched  arms  to  comfort  poor  King  Midas. 

Her  father  did  not  think  it  necessary  to  tell  his  beloved 
child  how  very  foolish  he  had  been,  but  contented  himself 
with  showing  how  much  wiser  he  had  now  grown.  For 
this  purpose,  he  led  little  Marygold  into  the  garden 


The  Golden  Touch  in 

where  he  sprinkled  all  the  remainder  of  the  water  over 
the  rose-bushes,  and  with  such  good  effect  that  above 
five  thousand  roses  recovered  their  beautiful  bloom. 
There  were  two  circumstances,  however,  which,  as  long 
as  he  lived,  used  to  put  King  Midas  in  mind  of  the 
Golden  Touch.  One  was,  that  the  sands  of  the  river 
sparkled  like  gold;  the  other,  that  little  Marygold's  hair 
had  now  a  golden  tinge,  which  he  had  never  observed  in 
it  before  she  had  been  transmuted  by  the  effect  of  his 
kiss.  This  change  of  hue  was  really  an  improvement,  and 
made  Marygold's  hair  richer  than  in  her  babyhood. 

When  King  Midas  had  grown  quite  an  old  man,  and 
used  to  trot  Marygold's  children  on  his  knee,  he  was 
fond  of  telling  them  this  marvellous  story,  pretty  much 
as  I  have  now  told  it  to  you.  And  then  would  he  stroke 
their  glossy  ringlets,  and  tell  them  that  their  hair,  like 
wise,  had  a  rich  shade  of  gold,  which  they  had  inherited 
from  their  mother. 

"And  to  tell  you  the  truth,  my  precious  little  folks," 
quoth  King  Midas,  diligently  trotting  the  children  all 
the  while,  "ever  since  that  morning,  I  have  hated  the 
very  sight  of  all  other  gold,  save  this  I" 


CHAPTER  V 
THE  GORGON'S  HEAD 

PERSEUS  was  the  son  of  Danae,  who  was  the  daughter 
of  a  king.  And  when  Perseus  was  a  very  little  boy, 
some  wicked  people  put  his  mother  and  himself  into  a 
chest,  and  set  them  afloat  upon  the  sea.  The  wind 
blew  freshly,  and  drove  the  chest  away  from  the  shore, 
and  the  uneasy  billows  tossed  it  up  and  down;  while 
Danae  clasped  her  child  closely  to  her  bosom,  and 
dreaded  that  some  big  wave  would  dash  its  foamy  crest 
over  them  both.  The  chest  sailed  on,  however,  and 
neither  sank  nor  was  upset;  until,  when  night  was 
coming,  it  floated  so  near  an  island  that  it  got  entangled 
in  a  fisherman's  nets,  and  was  drawn  out  high  and  dry 
upon  the  sand.  The  island  was  called  Seriphus,  and  it 
was  reigned  over  by  King  Polydectes,  who  happened  to 
be  the  fisherman's  brother. 

This  fisherman,  I  am  glad  to  tell  you,  was  an  exceed 
ingly  humane  and  upright  man.  He  showed  great 
kindness  to  Danae  and  her  little  boy;  and  continued 
to  befriend  them,  until  Perseus  had  grown  to  be  a  hand 
some  youth,  very  strong  and  active,  and  skilful  in  the  use 
of  arms.  Long  before  this  time,  King  Polydectes  had 
seen  the  two  strangers — the  mother  and  her  child — who 
had  come  to  his  dominions  in  a  floating  chest.  As  he 
was  not  good  and  kind,  like  his  brother  the  fisherman,  but 
extremely  wicked,  he  resolved  to  send  Perseus  on  a 

114 


The  Gorgon's  Head  113 

dangerous  enterprise,  in  which  he  would  probably  be 
killed,  and  then  to  do  some  great  mischief  to  Danae 
herself.  So  this  bad-hearted  king  spent  a  long  while 
in  considering  what  was  the  most  dangerous  thing  that 
a  young  man  could  possibly  undertake  to  perform.  At 
last,  having  hit  upon  an  enterprise  that  promised  to  turn 
out  as  fatally  as  he  desired,  he  sent  for  the  youthful 
Perseus. 

The  young  man  came  to  the  palace,  and  found  the 
king  sitting  upon  his  throne. 

"Perseus,"  said  King  Polydectes,  smiling  craftily 
upon  him,  "you  are  grown  up  a  fine  young  man.  You 
and  your  good  mother  have  received  a  great  deal  of 
kindness  from  myself,  as  well  as  from  my  worthy  brother 
the  fisherman,  and  I  suppose  you  would  not  be  sorry  to 
repay  some  of  it." 

"Please,  Your  Majesty,"  answered  Perseus,  "I  would 
willingly  risk  my  life  to  do  so." 

"Well,  then,"  continued  the  king,  still  with  a  cunning 
smile  on  his  lips,  "I  have  a  little  adventure  to  propose  to 
you;  and,  as  you  are  a  brave  and  enterprising  youth, 
you  will  doubtless  look  upon  it  as  a  great  piece  of  good 
luck  to  have  so  rare  an  opportunity  of  distinguishing  your 
self.  You  must  know,  my  good  Perseus,  I  think  of 
getting  married  to  the  beautiful  Princess  Hippodamia; 
and  it  is  customary,  on  these  occasions,  to  make  the  bride 
a  present  of  some  far-fetched  and  elegant  curiosity.  I 
have  been  a  little  perplexed,  I  must  honestly  confess, 
where  to  obtain  anything  likely  to  please  a  princess  of 
her  exquisite  taste.  But,  this  morning,  I  flatter  myself, 
I  have  thought  of  precisely  the  article." 

"And  can  I  assist  Your  Majesty  in  obtaining  it?" 
cried  Perseus,  eagerly. 


H4  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

"You  can,  if  you  are  as  brave  a  youth  as  I  believe 
you  to  be,"  replied  King  Polydectes,  with  the  utmost 
graciousness  of  manner.  "The  bridal  gift  which  I 
have  set  my  heart  on  presenting  to  the  beautiful  Hip- 
podamia  is  the  head  of  the  Gorgon  Medusa  with  the 
snaky  locks;  and  I  depend  on  you,  my  dear  Perseus,  to 
bring  it  to  me.  So,  as  I  am  anxious  to  settle  affairs  with 
the  princess,  the  sooner  you  go  in  quest  of  the  Gorgon, 
the  better  I  shall  be  pleased." 

"I  will  set  out  to-morrow  morning,"  answered  Perseus. 

"Pray  do  so,  my  gallant  youth,"  rejoined  the  king. 
"And,  Perseus,  in  cutting  off  the  Gorgon's  head,  be 
careful  to  make  a  clean  stroke,  so  as  not  to  injure  its 
appearance.  You  must  bring  it  home  in  the  very  best 
condition,  in  order  to  suit  the  exquisite  taste  of  the 
beautiful  Princess  Hippodamia." 

Perseus  left  the  palace,  but  was  scarcely  out  of  hearing 
before  Polydectes  burst  into  a  laugh;  being  greatly 
amused,  wicked  king  that  he  was,  to  find  how  readily 
the  young  man  fell  into  the  snare.  The  news  quickly 
spread  abroad  that  Perseus  had  undertaken  to  cut  off  the 
head  of  Medusa  with  the  snaky  locks.  Everybody  was 
rejoiced;  for  most  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  island  were 
as  wicked  as  the  king  himself,  and  would  have  liked 
nothing  better  than  to  see  some  enormous  mischief  happen 
to  Danae  and  her  son.  The  only  good  man  in  this  un 
fortunate  island  of  Seriphus  appears  to  have  been  the 
fisherman.  As  Perseus  walked  along,  therefore,  the 
people  pointed  after  him,  and  made  mouths,  and  winked 
to  one  another,  and  ridiculed  him  as  loudly  as  they  dared. 

"Ho,  ho!"  cried  they;  "Medusa's  snakes  will  sting 
him  soundly!" 

Now,  there  were  three  Gorgons  alive  at  that  period; 


The  Gorgon's  Head  115 

and  they  were  the  most  strange  and  terrible  monsters 
that  had  ever  been  since  the  world  was  made,  or  that 
have  been  seen  in  after  days,  or  that  are  likely  to  be 
seen  in  all  time  to  come.  I  hardly  know  what  sort  of 
creature  or  hobgoblin  to  call  them.  They  were  three 
sisters,  and  seem  to  have  borne  some  distant  resemblance 
to  women,  but  were  really  a  very  frightful  and  mischievous 
species  of  dragon.  It  is,  indeed,  difficult  to  imagine 
what  hideous  beings  these  three  sisters  were.  Why, 
instead  of  locks  of  hair,  if  you  can  believe  me,  they  had 
each 'of  them  a  hundred  enormous  snakes  growing  on 
their  heads,  all  alive,  twisting,  wriggling,  curling,  and 
thrusting  out  their  venomous  tongues,  with  forked 
stings  at  the  end!  The  teeth  of  the  Gorgons  were  terribly 
long  tusks;  their  hands  were  made  of  brass;  and  their 
bodies  were  all  over  scales,  which,  if  not  iron,  were 
something  as  hard  and  impenetrable.  They  had  wings, 
too,  and  exceedingly  splendid  ones,  I  can  assure  you; 
for  every  feather  in  them  was  pure,  bright,  glittering, 
burnished  gold,  and  they  looked  very  dazzlingly,  no 
doubt,  when  the  Gorgons  were  flying  about  in  the 
sunshine. 

But  when  people  happened  to  catch  a  glimpse  of 
their  glittering  brightness,  aloft  in  the  air,  they  seldom 
stopped  to  gaze,  but  ran  and  hid  themselves  as  speedily 
as  they  could.  You  will  think,  perhaps,  that  they  were 
afraid  of  being  stung  by  the  serpents  that  served  the 
Gorgons  instead  of  hair— or  of  having  their  heads 
bitten  off  by  their  ugly  tusks — or  of  being  torn  all  to 
pieces  by  their  brazen  claws.  Well,  to  be  sure,  these 
were  some  of  the  dangers,  but  by  no  means  the  greatest, 
nor  the  most  difficult  to  avoid.  For  the  worst  thing 
about  these  abominable  Gorgons  was,  that,  if  once  a 


ii<5  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

poor  mortal  fixed  his  eyes  full  upon  one  of  their  faces, 
he  was  certain,  that  very  instant,  to  be  changed  from 
warm  flesh  and  blood  into  cold  and  lifeless  stone  I 

Thus,  as  you  will  easily  perceive,  it  was  a  very  dan 
gerous  adventure  that  the  wicked  King  Polydectes  had 
contrived  for  this  innocent  young  man.  Perseus  him 
self,  when  he  had  thought  over  the  matter,  could  not 
help  seeing  that  he  had  very  little  chance  of  coming 
safely  through  it,  and  that  he  was  far  more  likely  to 
become  a  stone  image  than  to  bring  back  the  head  of 
Medusa  with  the  snaky  locks.  For,  not  to  speak  of 
other  difficulties,  there  was  one  which  it  would  have 
puzzled  an  older  man  than  Perseus  to  get  over.  Not 
only  must  he  fight  with  and  slay  this  golden- winged, 
iron-scaled,  long-tusked,  brazen-clawed,  snaky-haired 
monster,  but  he  must  do  it  with  his  eyes  shut,  or,  at 
least,  without  so  much  as  a  glance  at  the  enemy  with 
whom  he  was  contending.  Else,  while  his  arm  was 
lifted  to  strike,  he  would  stiffen  into  stone,  and  stand 
with  that  uplifted  arm  for  centuries,  until  time,  and 
the  wind  and  weather,  should  crumble  him  quite  away. 
This  would  be  a  very  sad  thing  to  befall  a  young  man 
who  wanted  to  perform  a  great  many  brave  deeds,  and 
to  enjoy  a  great  deal  of  happiness,  in  this  bright  and 
beautiful  world. 

So  disconsolate  did  these  thoughts  make  him,  that 
Perseus  could  not  bear  to  tell  his  mother  what  he  had 
undertaken  to  do.  He  therefore  took  his  shield,  girded 
on  his  sword,  and  crossed  over  from  the  island  to  the 
mainland,  where  he  sat  down  in  a  solitary  place,  and 
hardly  refrained  from  shedding  tears. 

But,  while  he  was  in  this  sorrowful  mood,  he  heard 
a  voice  close  beside  him. 


The  Gorgon's  Head  117 

"Perseus,"  said  the  voice,  "why  are  you  sad?" 

He  lifted  his  head  from  his  hands,  in  which  he  had 
hidden  it,  and,  behold!  all  alone  as  Perseus  had  sup 
posed  himself  to  be,  there  was  a  stranger  in  the  solitary 
place.  It  was  a  brisk,  intelligent,  and  remarkably 
shrewd-looking  young  man,  with  a  cloak  over  his  shoul 
ders,  an  odd  sort  of  cap  on  his  head,  a  strangely  twisted 
staff  in  his  hand,  and  a  short  and  very  crooked  sword 
hanging  by  his  side.  He  was  exceedingly  light  and 
active  in  his  figure,  like  a  person  much  accustomed 
to  gymnastic  exercises,  and  well  able  to  leap  or  run. 
Above  all,  the  stranger  had  such  a  cheerful,  knowing, 
and  helpful  aspect  (though  it  was  certainly  a  little 
mischievous,  into  the  bargain),  that  Perseus  could  not 
help  feeling  his  spirits  grow  livelier  as  he  gazed  at  him. 
Besides,  being  really  a  courageous  youth,  he  felt  greatly 
ashamed  that  anybody  should  have  found  him  with  tears 
in  his  eyes,  like  a  timid  little  schoolboy,  when,  after 
all,  there  might  be  no  occasion  for  despair.  So  Perseus 
wiped  his  eyes,  and  answered  the  stranger  pretty  briskly, 
putting  on  as  brave  a  look  as  he  could. 

"I  am  not  so  very  sad,"  said  he,  "only  thoughtful 
about  an  adventure  that  I  have  undertaken." 

"Oho!"  answered  the  stranger.  "Well,  tell  me 
all  about  it,  and  possibly  I  may  be  of  service  to  you. 
I  have  helped  a  good  many  young  men  through  adven 
tures  that  looked  difficult  enough  beforehand.  Perhaps 
you  may  have  heard  of  me.  I  have  more  names  than 
one;  but  the  name  of  Quicksilver  suits  me  as  well  as  any 
other.  Tell  me  what  the  trouble  is,  and  we  will  talk 
the  matter  over,  and  see  what  can  be  done." 

The  stranger's  words  and  manner  put  Perseus  into 
quite  a  different  mood  from  his  former  one.  He  re- 


n8  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

solved  to  tell  Quicksilver  all  his  difficulties,  since  he 
could  not  easily  be  worse  off  than  he  already  was,  and, 
very  possibly,  his  new  friend  might  give  him  some  ad 
vice  that  would  turn  out  well  in  the  end.  So  he  let  the 
stranger  know,  in  few  words,  precisely  what  the  case  was, 
— how  that  King  Polydectes  wanted  the  head  of  Medusa 
with  the  snaky  locks  as  a  bridal  gift  for  the  beautiful 
Princess  Hippodamia,  and  how  that  he  had  undertaken 
to  get  it  for  him,  but  was  afraid  of  being  turned  into  stone. 

"And  that  would  be  a  great  pity,"  said  Quicksilver, 
with  his  mischievous  smile.  "You  would  make  a  very 
handsome  marble  statue,  it  is  true,  and  it  would  be  a 
considerable  number  of  centuries  before  you  crumbled 
away;  but,  on  the  whole,  one  would  rather  be  a  young 
man  for  a  few  years,  than  a  stone  image  for  a  great 
many." 

"Oh,  far  rather!"  exclaimed  Perseus,  with  the  tears 
again  standing  in  his  eyes.  "And,  besides,  what  would 
my  dear  mother  do,  if  her  beloved  son  were  turned  into 
a  stone?" 

"Well,  well,  let  us  hope  that  the  affair  will  not  turn 
out  so  very  badly,"  replied  Quicksilver,  in  an  encouraging 
tone.  "I  am  the  very  person  to  help  you,  if  anybody 
can.  My  sister  and  myself  will  do  our  utmost  to  bring 
you  safe  through  the  adventure,  ugly  as  it  now  looks." 

"Your  sister?"  repeated  Perseus. 

"Yes,  my  sister,"  said  the  stranger.  "She  is  very 
wise,  I  promise  you;  and  as  for  myself,  I  generally  have 
all  my  wits  about  me,  such  as  they  are.  If  you  show 
yourself  bold  and  cautious,  and  follow  our  advice,  you 
need  not  fear  being  a  stone  image  yet  awhile.  But, 
first  of  all,  you  must  polish  your  shield,  till  you  can  see 
your  face  in  it  as  distinctly  as  in  a  mirror." 


The  Gorgon's  Head  119 

This  seemed  to  Perseus  rather  an  odd  beginning  of 
the  adventure;  for  he  thought  it  of  far  more  consequence 
that  the  shield  should  be  strong  enough  to  defend  him 
from  the  Gorgon's  brazen  claws,  than  that  it  should 
be  bright  enough  to  show  him  the  reflection  of  his  face. 
However,  concluding  that  Quicksilver  knew  better 
than  himself,  he  immediately  set  to  work,  and  scrubbed 
the  shield  with  so  much  diligence  and  good- will,  that  it 
very  quickly  shone  like  the  moon  at  harvest  time.  Quick 
silver  looked  at  it  with  a  smile,  and  nodded  his  approba 
tion.  Then,  taking  off  his  own  short  and  crooked  sword, 
he  girded  it  about  Perseus,  instead  of  the  one  which  he 
had  before  worn. 

"No  sword  but  mine  will  answer  your  purpose,"  ob 
served  he;  "the  blade  has  a  most  excellent  temper,  and 
will  cut  through  iron  and  brass  as  easily  as  through 
the  slenderest  twig.  And  now  we  will  set  out.  The 
next  thing  is  to  find  the  Three  Gray  Women,  who  will 
tell  us  where  to  find  the  Nymphs." 

"The  Three  Gray  Women!"  cried  Perseus,  to  whom 
this  seemed  only  a  new  difficulty  in  the  path  of  his 
adventure;  "pray  who  may  the  Three  Gray  Women  be? 
I  never  heard  of  them  before." 

"They  are  three  very  strange  old  ladies,"  said  Quick 
silver,  laughing.  "They  have  but  one  eye  among  them, 
and  only  one  tooth.  Moreover,  you  must  find  them  out 
by  starlight,  or  in  the  dusk  of  the  evening;  for  they  never 
show  themselves  by  the  light  either  of  the  sun  or  moon." 

"But,"  said  Perseus,  "why  should  I  waste  my  time 
with  these  Three  Gray  Women?  Would  it  not  be 
better  to  set  out  at  once  in  search  of  the  terrible  Gor- 
gons?" 

"No,  no,"  answered  his  friend.    "There  are  other 


120  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

things  to  be  done,  before  you  can  find  your  way  to  the 
Gorgons.  There  is  nothing  for  it  but  to  hunt  up  these 
old  ladies;  and  when  we  meet  with  them,  you  may  be 
sure  that  the  Gorgons  are  not  a  great  way  off.  Come, 
let  us  be  stirring!" 

Perseus,  by  this  time,  felt  so  much  confidence  in  his 
companion's  sagacity,  that  he  made  no  more  objections, 
and  professed  himself  ready  to  begin  the  adventure  im 
mediately.  They  accordingly  set  out,  and  walked  at  a 
pretty  brisk  pace;  so  brisk,  indeed,  that  Perseus  found 
it  rather  difficult  to  keep  up  with  his  nimble  friend 
Quicksilver.  To  say  the  truth,  he  had  a  singular  idea 
that  Quicksilver  was  furnished  with  a  pair  of  winged 
shoes,  which,  of  course,  helped  him  along  marvellously. 
And  then,  too,  when  Perseus  looked  sideways  at  him 
out  of  the  corner  of  his  eye,  he  seemed  to  see  wings 
on  the  side  of  his  head;  although,  if  he  turned  a  full 
gaze,  there  were  no  such  things  to  be  perceived,  but  only 
an  odd  kind  of  cap.  But,  at  all  events,  the  twisted 
staff  was  evidently  a  great  convenience  to  Quicksilver, 
and  enabled  him  to  proceed  so  fast,  that  Perseus,  though 
a  remarkably  active  young  man,  began  to  be  out  of 
breath. 

"Here I"  cried  Quicksilver,  at  last — for  he  knew 
well  enough,  rogue  that  he  was,  how  hard  Perseus 
found  it  to  keep  pace  with  him — "take  you  the  staff, 
for  you  need  it  a  great  deal  more  than  I.  Are  there 
no  better  walkers  than  yourself  in  the  island  of  Seriphus  ?  " 

"I  could  walk  pretty  well,"  said  Perseus,  glancing 
slyly  at  his  companion's  feet,  "if  I  had  only  a  pair  of 
winged  shoes." 

"We  must  see  about  getting  you  a  pair,"  answered 
Quicksilver. 


The  Gorgon's  Head  121 

But  the  staff  helped  Perseus  along  so  bravely,  that 
he  no  longer  felt  the  slightest  weariness.  In  fact,  the 
stick  seemed  to  be  alive  in  his  hand,  and  to  lend  some 
of  its  life  to  Perseus.  He  and  Quicksilver  now  walked 
onward  at  their  ease,  talking  very  sociably  together; 
and  Quicksilver  told  so  many  pleasant  stories  about  his 
former  adventures,  and  how  well  his  wits  had  served 
him  on  various  occasions,  that  Perseus  began  to  think 
him  a  very  wonderful  person.  He  evidently  knew  the 
world;  and  nobody  is  so  charming  to  a  young  man  as 
a  friend  who  has  that  kind  of  knowledge.  Perseus 
listened  the  more  eagerly,  in  the  hope  of  brightening 
his  own  wits  by  what  he  heard. 

At  last,  he  happened  to  recollect  that  Quicksilver 
had  spoken  of  a  sister,  who  was  to  lend  her  assistance 
in  the  adventure  which  they  were  now  bound  upon. 

"Where  is  she?"  he  inquired.  "Shall  we  not  meet 
her  soon?" 

"All  at  the  proper  time,"  said  his  companion.  "But 
this  sister  of  mine,  you  must  understand,  is  quite  a  differ 
ent  sort  of  character  from  myself.  She  is  very  grave  and 
prudent,  seldom  smiles,  never  laughs,  and  makes  it  a 
rule  not  to  utter  a  word  unless  she  has  something  particu 
larly  profound  to  say.  Neither  will  she  listen  to  any  but 
the  wisest  conversation." 

"Dear  me!"  ejaculated  Perseus;  "I  shall  be  afraid 
to  say  a  syllable." 

"She  is  a  very  accomplished  person,  I  assure  you," 
continued  Quicksilver,  "and  has  all  the  arts  and  sciences 
at  her  fingers'  ends.  In  short,  she  is  so  immoderately 
wise,  that  many  people  call  her  wisdom  personified. 
But,  to  tell  you  the  truth,  she  has  hardly  vivacity  enough 
for  my  taste;  and  I  think  you  would  scarcely  find  her  sa 


122    .         Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

pleasant  a  travelling  companion  as  myself.  She  has  her 
good  points,  nevertheless;  and  you  will  find  the  benefit 
of  them,  in  your  encounter  with  the  Gorgons." 

By  this  time  it  had  grown  quite  dusk.  They  were 
now  come  to  a  very  wild  and  desert  place,  overgrown 
with  shaggy  bushes,  and  so  silent  and  solitary  that  nobody 
seemed  ever  to  have  dwelt  or  journeyed  there.  All  was 
waste  and  desolate,  in  the  gray  twilight,  which  grew 
every  moment  more  obscure.  Perseus  looked  about  him, 
rather  disconsolately,  and  asked  Quicksilver  whether 
they  had  a  great  deal  farther  to  go. 

"Hist!  hist!"  whispered  his  companion.  "Make 
no  noise!  This  is  just  the  time  and  place  to  meet  the 
Three  Gray  Women.  Be  careful  that  they  do  not  see 
you  before  you  see  them;  for,  though  they  have  but  a 
single  eye  among  the  three,  it  is  as  sharp  sighted  as  half 
a  dozen  common  eyes." 

"But  what  must  I  do,"  asked  Perseus,  "when  we 
meet  them?" 

Quicksilver  explained  to  Perseus  how  the  Three 
Gray  Women  managed  with  their  one  eye.  They 
were  in  the  habit,  it  seems,  of  changing  it  from  one  to 
another,  as  if  it  had  been  a  pair  of  spectacles,  or — 
which  would  have  suited  them  better — a  quizzing 
glass.  When  one  of  the  three  had  kept  the  eye  a  certain 
time,  she  took  it  out  of  the  socket  and  passed  it  to  one 
of  her  sisters,  whose  turn  it  might  happen  to  be,  and  who 
immediately  clapped  it  into  her  own  head,  and  enjoyed 
a  peep  at  the  visible  world.  Thus  it  will  easily  be 
understood  that  only  one  of  the  Three  Gray  Women 
could  see,  while  the  other  two  were  in  utter  darkness;  and, 
moreover,  at  the  instant  when  the  eye  was  passing  from 
hand  to  hand,  neither  of  the  poor  old  ladies  was  able  to 


The  Gorgon's  Head  123 

see  a  wink.  I  have  heard  of  a  great  many  strange  things, 
in  my  day,  and  have  witnessed  not  a  few;  but  none,  it 
seems  to  me,  that  can  compare  with  the  oddity  of  these 
Three  Gray  Women,  all  peeping  through  a  single  eye. 

So  thought  Perseus,  likewise,  and  was  so  astonished 
that  he  almost  fancied  his  companion  was  joking  with 
him,  and  that  there  were  no  such  old  women  in  the 
world. 

"You  will  soon  find  whether  I  tell  the  truth  or  no," 
observed  Quicksilver.  "Hark!  hush!  hist!  hist!  There 
they  come,  now!" 

Perseus  looked  earnestly  through  the  dusk  of  the 
evening,  and  there,  sure  enough,  at  no  great  distance 
off,  he  descried  the  Three  Gray  Women.  The  light 
being  so  faint,  he  could  not  well  make  out  what  sort 
of  figures  they  were;  only  he  discovered  that  they  had 
long  gray  hair;  and,  as  they  came  nearer,  he  saw  that 
two  of  them  had  but  the  empty  socket  of  an  eye,  in  the 
middle  of  their  foreheads.  But,  in  the  middle  of  the 
third  sister's  forehead,  there  was  a  very  large,  bright,  and 
piercing  eye,  which  sparkled  like  a  great  diamond  in  a 
ring;  and  so  penetrating  did  it  seem  to  be,  that  Perseus 
could  not  help  thinking  it  must  possess  the  gift  of  seeing 
in  the  darkest  midnight  just  as  perfectly  as  at  noonday. 
The  sight  of  three  persons'  eyes  was  melted  and  collected 
into  that  single  one. 

Thus  the  three  old  dames  got  along  about  as  com 
fortably,  upon  the  whole,  as  if  they  could  all  see  at  once. 
She  who  chanced  to  have  the  eye  in  her  forehead  led  the 
other  two  by  the  hands,  peeping  sharply  about  her,  all 
the  while;  insomuch  that  Perseus  dreaded  lest  she  should 
see  right  through  the  thick  clump  of  bushes  behind  which 
he  and  Quicksilver  had  hidden  themselves.  My  stars! 


124  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

it  was  positively  terrible  to  be  within  reach  of  so  very 
sharp  an  eye! 

But,  before  they  reached  the  clump  of  bushes,  one 
of  the  Three  Gray  Women  spoke. 

"Sister!  Sister  Scarecrow!"  cried  she,  "you  have 
had  the  eye  long  enough.  It  is  my  turn  now!" 

"Let  me  keep  it  a  moment  longer,  Sister  Nightmare," 
answered  Scarecrow.  "I  thought  I  had  a  glimpse  of 
something  behind  that  thick  bush." 

"Well,  and  what  of  that?"  retorted  Nightmare, 
peevishly.  "Can't  I  see  into  a  thick  bush  as  easily  as 
yourself?  The  eye  is  mine  as  well  as  yours;  and  I 
know  the  use  of  it  as  well  as  you,  or  maybe  a  little 
better.  I  insist  upon  taking  a  peep  immediately!" 

But  here  the  third  sister,  whose  name  was  Shakejoint, 
began  to  complain,  and  said  that  it  was  her  turn  to  have 
the  eye,  and  that  Scarecrow  and  Nightmare  wanted  to 
keep  it  all  to  themselves.  To  end  the  dispute,  old  Dame 
Scarecrow  took  the  eye  out  of  her  forehead,  and  held  it 
forth  in  her  hand. 

"Take  it,  one  of  you,"  cried  she,  "and  quit  this  foolish 
quarrelling.  For  my  part,  I  shall  be  glad  of  a  little 
thick  darkness.  Take  it  quickly,  however,  or  I  must 
clap  it  into  my  own  head  again!" 

Accordingly,  both  Nightmare  and  Shakejoint  put 
out  their  hands,  groping  eagerly  to  snatch  the  eye  out 
of  the  hand  of  Scarecrow.  But,  being  both  alike  blind, 
they  could  not  easily  find  where  Scarecrow's  hand  was; 
and  Scarecrow,  being  now  just  as  much  in  the  dark  as 
Shakejoint  and  Nightmare,  could  not  at  once  meet 
either  of  their  hands,  in  order  to  put  the  eye  into  it. 
Thus  (as  you  will  see,  with  half  an  eye,  my  wise  little 
auditors),  these  good  old  dames  had  fallen  into  a  strange 


The  Gorgon's  Head  125 

perplexity.  For,  though  the  eye  shone  and  glistened  like 
a  star,  as  Scarecrow  held  it  out,  yet  the  Gray  Women 
caught  not  the  least  glimpse  of  its  light,  and  were  all  three 
in  utter  darkness,  from  too  impatient  a  desire  to  see. 

Quicksilver  was  so  much  tickled  at  beholding  Shake- 
joint  and  Nightmare  both  groping  for  the  eye,  and  each 
finding  fault  with  Scarecrow  and  one  another,  that  he 
could  scarcely  help  laughing  aloud. 

"  Now  is  your  time ! "  he  whispered  to  Perseus.  "  Quick, 
quick!  before  they  can  clap  the  eye  into  either  of  their 
heads.  Rush  out  upon  the  old  ladies,  and  snatch  it  from 
Scarecrow's  hand!" 

In  an  instant,  while  the  Three  Gray  Women  were 
still  scolding  each  other,  Perseus  leaped  from  behind 
the  clump  of  bushes,  and  made  himself  master  of  the 
prize.  The  marvellous  eye,  as  he  held  it  in  his  hand, 
shone  very  brightly,  and  seemed  to  look  up  into  his 
face  with  a  knowing  air,  and  an  expression  as  if  it  would 
have  winked,  had  it  been  provided  with  a  pair  of  eyelids 
for  that  purpose.  But  the  Gray  Women  knew  nothing 
of  what  had  happened;  and,  each  supposing  that  one  of 
Jier  sisters  was  in  possession  of  the  eye,  they  began  their 
quarrel  anew.  At  last,  as  Perseus  did  not  wish  to  put 
these  respectable  dames  to  greater  inconvenience  than 
was  really  necessary,  he  thought  it  right  to  explain  the 
matter. 

"My  good  ladies,"  said  he,  "pray  do  not  be  angry 
with  one  another.  If  anybody  is  in  fault,  it  is  myself; 
for  I  have  the  honour  to  hold  your  very  brilliant  and 
excellent  eye  in  my  own  hand!" 

"You!  you  have  our  eye!  And  who  are  you?" 
screamed  the  Three  Gray  Women,  all  in  a  breath;  for 
they  were  terribly  frightened,  of  course,  at  hearing  a 


126  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

strange  voice,  and  discovering  that  their  eyesight  had 
got  into  the  hands  of  they  could  not  guess  whom.  "Oh, 
what  shall  we  do,  sisters?  what  shall  we  do?  We 
are  all  in  the  dark!  Give  us  our  eye!  Give  us  our 
one,  precious,  solitary  eye!  You  have  two  of  your  own! 
Give  us  our  eye!" 

"Tell  them,"  whispered  Quicksilver  to  Perseus, 
"that  they  shall  have  back  the  eye  as  soon  as  they  direct 
you  where  to  find  the  Nymphs  who  have  the  flying 
slippers,  the  magic  wallet,  and  the  helmet  of  darkness." 

"My  dear,  good,  admirable  old  ladies,"  said  Perseus, 
addressing  the  Gray  Women,  "there  is  no  occasion  for 
putting  yourselves  into  such  a  fright.  I  am  by  no 
means  a  bad  young  man.  You  shall  have  back  your 
eye,  safe  and  sound,  and  as  bright  as  ever,  the  moment 
you  tell  me  where  to  find  the  Nymphs." 

"The  Nymphs!  Goodness  me!  sisters,  what  Nymphs 
does  he  mean?"  screamed  Scarecrow.  "There  are  a 
great  many  Nymphs,  people  say;  some  that  go  a  hunting 
in  the  woods,  and  some  that  live  inside  of  trees,  and 
some  that  have  a  comfortable  home  in  fountains  of 
water.  We  know  nothing  at  all  about  them.  We 
are  three  unfortunate  old  souls,  that  go  wandering 
about  in  the  dusk,  and  never  had  but  one  eye  amongst 
us,  and  that  one  you  have  stolen  away.  Oh,  give  it 
back,  good  stranger! — whoever  you  are,  give  it  back!" 

All  this  while  the  Three  Gray  Women  were  groping 
with  their  outstretched  hands,  and  trying  their  utmost  to 
get  hold  of  Perseus.  But  he  took  good  care  to  keep 
out  of  their  reach. 

"My  respectable  dames,"  said  he — for  his  mother 
had  taught  him  always  to  use  the  greatest  civility-^ 
"I  hold  your  eye  fast  in  my  hand,  and  shall  keep  it 


The  Gorgon's  Head  127 

safely  for  you,  until  you  please  to  tell  me  where  to  find 
these  Nymphs.  The  Nymphs,  I  mean,  who  keep  the 
enchanted  wallet,  the  flying  slippers,  and  the  what  is  it  ? 
— the  helmet  of  invisibility." 

"Mercy  on  us,  sisters!  what  is  the  young  man  talking 
about?"  exclaimed  Scarecrow,  Nightmare  and  Shake- 
joint,  one  to  another,  with  great  appearance  of  astonish 
ment.  "A  pair  of  flying  slippers,  quoth  he!  His  heels 
would  quickly  fly  higher  than  his  head,  if  he  was  silly 
enough  to  put  them  on.  And  a  helmet  of  invisibility! 
How  could  a  helmet  make  him  invisible,  unless  it  were 
big  enough  for  him  to  hide  under  it  ?  And  an  enchanted 
wallet!  What  sort  of  a  contrivance  may  that  be,  I 
wonder  ?  No,  no,  good  stranger!  we  can  tell  you  nothing 
of  these  marvellous  things.  You  have  two  eyes  of  your 
own,  and  we  have  but  a  single  one  amongst  us  three.  You 
can  find  out  such  wonders  better  than  three  blind  old 
creatures,  like  us." 

Perseus,  hearing  them  talk  in  this  way,  began  really 
to  think  that  the  Gray  Women  knew  nothing  of  the 
matter;  and,  as  it  grieved  him  to  have  put  them  to  so 
much  trouble,  he  was  just  on  the  point  of  restoring  their 
eye  and  asking  pardon  for  his  rudeness  in  snatching  it 
away.  But  Quicksilver  caught  his  hand. 

"Don't  let  them  make  a  fool  of  you!"  said  he.  "These 
Three  Gray  Women  are  the  only  persons  in  the  world 
that  can  tell  you  where  to  find  the  Nymphs;  and,  unless 
you  get  that  information,  you  will  never  succeed  in  cutting 
off  the  head  of  Medusa  with  the  snaky  locks.  Keep  fast 
hold  of  the  eye,  and  all  will  go  well." 

As  it  turned  out,  Quicksilver  was  in  the  right.  There 
are  but  few  things  that  people  prize  so  much  as  they  do 
their  eyesight ;  and  the  Gray  Women  valued  their  single 


128  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

eye  as  highly  as  if  it  had  been  half  a  dozen,  which  was  the 
number  they  ought  to  have  had.  Finding  that  there  was 
no  other  way  of  recovering  it,  they  at  last  told  Perseus 
what  he  wanted  to  know.  No  sooner  had  they  done  so, 
than  he  immediately,  and  with  the  utmost  respect,  clapped 
the  eye  into  the  vacant  socket  in  one  of  their  foreheads, 
thanked  them  for  their  kindness,  and  bade  them  farewell. 
Before  the  young  man  was  out  of  hearing,  however,  they 
had  got  into  a  new  dispute,  because  he  happened  to  have 
given  the  eye  to  Scarecrow,  who  had  already  taken  her 
turn  of  it  when  their  trouble  with  Perseus  commenced. 

It  is  greatly  to  be  feared  that  the  Three  Gray  Women 
were  very  much  in  the  habit  of  disturbing  their  mutual 
harmony  by  bickerings  of  this  sort;  which  was  the  more 
pity,  as  they  could  not  conveniently  do  without  one 
another,  and  were  evidently  intended  to  be  inseparable 
companions.  As  a  general  rule,  I  would  advise  all 
people,  whether  sisters  or  brothers,  old  or  young,  who 
chance  to  have  but  one  eye  amongst  them,  to  cultivate 
forbearance,  and  not  all  insist  upon  peeping  through  it 
at  once. 

Quicksilver  and  Perseus,  in  the  meantime,  were  mak 
ing  the  best  of  their  way  in  quest  of  the  Nymphs.  The 
old  dames  had  given  them  such  particular  directions 
that  they  were  not  long  in  finding  them  out.  They  proved 
to  be  very  different  persons  from  Nightmare,  Shake- 
joint  and  Scarecrow;  for,  instead  of  being  old,  they  were 
young  and  beautiful;  and  instead  of  one  eye  amongst 
the  sisterhood,  each  Nymph  had  two  exceedingly  bright 
eyes  of  her  own,  with  which  she  looked  very  kindly  at 
Perseus.  They  seemed  to  be  acquainted  with  Quick 
silver;  and,  when  he  told  them  the  adventure  which 
Perseus  had  undertaken,  they  made  no  difficulty  about 


The  Gorgon's  Head  129 

giving  him  the  valuable  articles  that  were  in  their  custody 
In  the  first  place,  they  brought  out  what  appeared  to  be 
a  small  purse,  made  of  deer  skin,  and  curiously  embroid 
ered,  and  bade  him  be  sure  and  keep  it  safe.  This  was 
the  magic  wallet.  The  Nymphs  next  produced  a  pair 
of  shoes,  or  slippers,  or  sandals,  with  a  nice  little  pair  of 
wings  at  the  heel  of  each. 

"Put  them  on,  Perseus,"  said  Quicksilver.  "You 
will  find  yourself  as  light  heeled  as  you  can  desire  for 
the  remainder  of  our  journey." 

So  Perseus  proceeded  to  put  one  of  the  slippers  on, 
while  he  laid  the  other  on  the  ground  by  his  side.  Unex 
pectedly,  however,  this  other  slipper  spread  its  wings, 
fluttered  up  off  the  ground,  and  would  probably  have 
flown  away,  if  Quicksilver  had  not  made  a  leap,  and 
luckily  caught  it  in  the  air. 

"Be  more  careful,"  said  he,  as  he  gave  it  back  to 
Perseus.  "It  would  frighten  the  birds,  up  aloft,  if 
they  should  see  a  flying  slipper  amongst  them." 

When  Perseus  had  got  on  both  of  these  wonderful 
slippers,  he  was  altogether  too  buoyant  to  tread  on  earth. 
Making  a  step  or  two,  lo  and  behold!  upward  he  popped 
into  the  air,  high  above  the  heads  of  Quicksilver  and  the 
Nymphs,  and  found  it  very  difficult  to  clamber  down 
again.  Winged  slippers,  and  all  such  high-flying  con 
trivances,  are  seldom  quite  easy  to  manage  until  one 
grows  a  little  accustomed  to  them.  Quicksilver  laughed 
at  his  companion's  involuntary  activity,  and  told  him 
that  he  must  not  be  in  so  desperate  a  hurry,  but  must 
wait  for  the  invisible  helmet. 

The  good-natured  Nymphs  had  the  helmet,  with  its 
dark  tuft  of  waving  plumes,  all  in  readiness  to  put  upon 
his  head.  And  now  there  happened  about  as  wonderful 


130  Myths  Every  Child  ShoM  Know 

an  incident  as  anything  that  I  have  yet  told  you.  The 
instant  before  the  helmet  was  put  on,  there  stood  Perseus, 
a  beautiful  young  man,  with  golden  ringlets  and  rosy 
cheeks,  the  crooked  sword  by  his  side,  and  the  brightly 
polished  shield  upon  his  arm — a  figure  that  seemed  all 
made  up  of  courage,  sprightliness,  and  glorious  light. 
But  when  the  helmet  had  descended  over  his  white  brow, 
there  was  no  longer  any  Perseus  to  be  seen!  Nothing 
but  empty  air!  Even  the  helmet,  that  covered  him  with 
its  invisibility,  had  vanished! 

"Where  are  you,  Perseus?"  asked  Quicksilver. 

"Why,  here,  to  be  sure!"  answered  Perseus,  very 
quietly,  although  his  voice  seemed  to  come  out  of  the 
transparent  atmosphere.  "Just  where  I  was  a  moment 
ago.  Don't  you  see  me?" 

"No,  indeed!"  answered  his  friend.  "You  are  hidden 
under  the  helmet.  But,  if  I  cannot  see  you,  neither 
can  the  Gorgons.  Follow  me,  therefore,  and  we  will 
try  your  dexterity  in  using  the  winged  slippers." 

With  these  words,  Quicksilver's  cap  spread  its  wings, 
as  if  his  head  were  about  to  fly  away  from  his  shoulders; 
but  his  whole  figure  rose  lightly  into  the  air,  and  Perseus 
followed.  By  the  time  they  had  ascended  a  few  hundred 
feet,  the  young  man  began  to  feel  what  a  delightful 
thing  it  was  to  leave  the  dull  earth  so  far  beneath  him, 
and  to  be  able  to  flit  about  like  a  bird. 

It  was  now  deep  night.  Perseus  looked  upward, 
and  saw  the  round,  bright,  silvery  moon,  and  thought 
that  he  should  desire  nothing  better  than  to  soar  up 
thither,  and  spend  his  life  there.  Then  he  looked  down 
ward  again,  and  saw  the  earth,  with  its  seas  and  lakes, 
and  the  silver  courses  of  its  rivers,  and  its  snowy  mountain 
peaks,  and  the  breadth  of  its  fields,  and  the  dark  cluster 


The  Gorgon's  Head  131 

of  its  woods,  and  its  cities  of  white  marble;  and,  with 
the  moonshine  sleeping  over  the  whole  scene,  it  was  as 
beautiful  as  the  moon  or  any  star  could  be.  And,  among 
other  objects,  he  saw  the  island  of  Seriphus,  where  his 
dear  mother  was.  Sometimes  he  and  Quicksilver  ap 
proached  a  cloud,  that,  at  a  distance,  looked  as  if  it  were 
made  of  fleecy  silver;  although,  when  they  plunged  into 
it,  they  found  themselves  chilled  and  moistened  with 
gray  mist.  So  swift  was  their  flight,  however,  that,  in 
an  instant,  they  emerged  from  the  cloud  into  the  moon 
light  again.  Once,  a  high -soaring  eagle  flew  right  against 
the  invisible  Perseus.  The  bravest  sights  were  the 
meteors,  that  gleamed  suddenly  out,  as  if  a  bonfire  had 
been  kindled  in  the  sky,  and  made  the  moonshine  pale 
for  as  much  as  a  hundred  miles  around  them. 

As  the  two  companions  flew  onward,  Perseus  fancied 
that  he  could  hear  the  rustle  of  a  garment  close  by  his 
side;  and  it  was  on  the  side  opposite  to  the  one  where 
he  beheld  Quicksilver,  yet  only  Quicksilver  was  visible. 

" Whose  garment  is  this,"  inquired  Perseus,  "that 
keeps  rustling  close  beside  me  in  the  breeze  ?  " 

"Oh,  it  is  my  sister's!"  answered  Quicksilver.  "She 
is  coming  along  with  us,  as  I  told  you  she  would.  We 
could  do  nothing  without  the  help  of  my  sister.  YOU 
have  no  idea  how  wise  she  is.  She  has  such  eyes,  too! 
Why,  she  can  see  you,  at  this  moment,  just  as  distinctly 
as  if  you  were  not  invisible;  and  I'll  venture  to  say,  she 
will  be  the  first  to  discover  the  Gorgons." 

By  this  time,  in  their  swift  voyage  through  the  air, 
they  had  come  within  sight  of  the  great  ocean,  and  were 
soon  flying  over  it.  Far  beneath  them,  the  waves  tossed 
themselves  tumultuously  in  mid-sea,  or  rolled  a  white 
surf  line  upon  the  long  beaches,  or  foamed  against  the 


132  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

rocky  cliffs,  with  a  roar  that  was  thunderous,  in  the  lower 
world;  although  it  became  a  gentle  murmur,  like  the 
voice  of  a  baby  half  asleep,  before  it  reached  the  ears  of 
Perseus.  Just  then  a  voice  spoke  in  the  air  close  by  him. 
It  seemed  to  be  a  woman's  voice,  and  was  melodious, 
though  not  exactly  what  might  be  called  sweet,  but 
grave  and  mild. 

"Perseus,"  said  the  voice,  "there  are  the  Gorgons." 

"Where?"  exclaimed  Perseus.     "I  cannot  see  them." 

"On  the  shore  of  that  island  beneath  you,"  replied 

the  voice.     "A  pebble,  dropped  from  your  hand,  would 

strike  in  the  midst  of  them." 

"I  told  you  she  would  be  the  first  to  discover  them," 
said  Quicksilver  to  Perseus.  "And  there  they  are!" 

Straight  downward,  two  or  three  thousand  feet  below 
him,  Perseus  perceived  a  small  island,  with  the  sea 
breaking  into  white  foam  all  around  its  rocky  shore, 
except  on  one  side,  where  there  was  a  beach  of  snowy 
sand.  He  descended  toward  it,  and,  looking  earnestly 
at  a  cluster  or  heap  of  brightness,  at  the  foot  of  a  preci 
pice  of  black  rocks,  behold,  there  were  the  terrible 
Gorgons!  They  lay  fast  asleep,  soothed  by  the  thunder 
of  the  sea;  for  it  required  a  tumult  that  would  have 
deafened  everybody  else  to  lull  such  fierce  creatures 
into  slumber.  The  moonlight  glistened  on  their  steely 
scales,  and  on  their  golden  wings,  which  drooped  idly 
over  the  sand.  Their  brazen  claws,  horrible  to  look  at, 
were  thrust  out,  and  clutched  the  wave-beaten  frag 
ments  of  rock,  while  the  sleeping  Gorgons  dreamed  of 
tearing  some  poor  mortal  all  to  pieces.  The  snakes 
that  served  them  instead  of  hair  seemed  likewise  to  be 
asleep;  although,  now  and  then,  one  would  writhe, 
and  lift  its  head,  and  thrust  out  its  forked  tongue,  emitting 


The  Gorgon's  Head  133 

a  drowsy  hiss,  and  then  let  itself  subside  among  its  sister 
snakes. 

The  Gorgons  were  more  like  an  awful,  gigantic  kind 
of  insect — immense,  golden-winged  beetles,  or  dragon- 
flies,  or  things  of  that  sort — at  once  ugly  and  beautiful — 
than  like  anything  else;  only  that  they  were  a  thousand 
and  a  million  times  as  big.  And,  with  all  this,  there  was 
something  partly  human  about  them,  too.  Luckily  for 
Perseus,  their  faces  were  completely  hidden  from  him 
by  the  posture  in  which  they  lay;  for,  had  he  but  looked 
one  instant  at  them,  he  would  have  fallen  heavily  out 
of  the  air,  an  image  of  senseless  stone. 

"Now,"  whispered  Quicksilver,  as  he  hovered  by  the 
side  of  Perseus — "now  is  your  time  to  do  the  deed  I 
Be  quick;  for,  if  one  of  the  Gorgons  should  awake,  you 
are  too  late!" 

"Which  shall  I  strike  at?"  asked  Perseus,  drawing 
his  sword  and  descending  a  little  lower.  "They  all 
three  look  alike.  All  three  have  snaky  locks.  Which 
of  the  three  is  Medusa?" 

It  must  be  understood  that  Medusa  was  the  only 
one  of  these  dragon  monsters  whose  head  Perseus  could 
possibly  cut  off.  As  for  the  other  two,  let  him  have 
the  sharpest  sword  that  ever  was  forged,  and  he  might 
have  hacked  away  by  the  hour  together,  without  doing 
them  the  least  harm. 

"Be  cautious,"  said  the  calm  voice  which  had  before 
spoken  to  him.  "One  of  the  Gorgons  is  stirring  in 
her  sleep,  and  is  just  about  to  turn  over.  That  is  Medusa. 
Do  not  look  at  her!  The  sight  would  turn  you  to  stone! 
Look  at  the  reflection  of  her  face  and  figure  in  the  bright 
mirror  of  your  shield." 

Perseus  now  understood  Quicksilver's  motive  for  so 


134  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

earnestly  exhorting  him  to  polish  his  shield.  In  its 
surface  he  could  safely  look  at  the  reflection  of  the  Gor 
gon's  face.  And  there  it  was — that  terrible  counte 
nance — mirrored  in  the  brightness  of  the  shield,  with 
the  moonlight  falling  over  it,  and  displaying  all  its 
horror.  The  snakes,  whose  venomous  natures  could 
not  altogether  sleep,  kept  twisting  themselves  over  the 
forehead.  It  was  the  fiercest  and  most  horrible  face 
that  ever  was  seen  or  imagined,  and  yet  with  a  strange, 
fearful,  and  savage  kind  of  beauty  in  it.  The  eyes 
were  closed,  and  the  Gorgon  was  still  in  a  deep  slum 
ber;  but  there  was  an  unquiet  expression  disturbing 
her  features,  as  if  the  monster  was  troubled  with  an 
ugly  dream.  She  gnashed  her  white  tusks,  and  dug 
into  the  sand  with  her  brazen  claws. 

The  snakes,  too,  seemed  to  feel  Medusa's  dream,  and 
to  be  made  more  restless  by  it.  They  twined  them 
selves  into  tumultuous  knots,  writhed  fiercely,  and 
uplifted  a  hundred  hissing  heads,  without  opening  their 
eyes. 

"Now,  now!"  whispered  Quicksilver,  who  was  grow 
ing  impatient.  "Make  a  dash  at  the  monster!" 

"But  be  calm,"  said  the  grave,  melodious  voice  at 
the  young  man's  side.  "Look  in  your  shield,  as  you 
fly  downward,  and  take  care  that  you  do  not  miss  your 
first  stroke." 

Perseus  flew  cautiously  downward,  still  keeping  his 
eyes  on  Medusa's  face,  as  reflected  in  his  shield.  The 
nearer  he  came,  the  more  terrible  did  the  snaky  visage 
and  metallic  body  of  the  monster  grow.  At  last,  when 
he  found  himself  hovering  over  her  within  arm's  length, 
Perseus  uplifted  his  sword,  while,  at  the  same  instant, 
each  separate  snake  upon  the  Gorgon's  head  stretched 


The  Gorgon's  Head  135 

threateningly  upward,  and  Medusa  unclosed  her  eyes. 
But  she  awoke  too  late.  The  sword  was  sharp;  the 
stroke  fell  like  a  lightning  flash;  and  the  head  of  the 
wicked  Medusa  tumbled  from  her  body! 

"Admirably  done!"  cried  Quicksilver.  "Make  haste, 
and  dap  the  head  into  your  magic  wallet." 

To  the  astonishment  of  Perseus,  the  small,  embroidered 
wallet,  which  he  had  hung  about  his  neck,  and  which 
had  hitherto  been  no  bigger  than  a  purse,  grew  all  at 
once  large  enough  to  contain  Medusa's  head.  As  quick 
as  thought,  he  snatched  it  up,  with  the  snakes  still  writh 
ing  upon  it,  and  thrust  it  in. 

"Your  task  is  done,"  said  the  calm  voice.  "Now 
fly;  for  the  other  Gorgons  will  do  their  utmost  to  take 
vengeance  for  Medusa's  death." 

It  was,  indeed,  necessary  to  take  flight;  for  Perseus 
had  not  done  the  deed  so  quietly  but  that  the  clash  of 
his  sword,  and  the  hissing  of  the  snakes,  and  the  thump 
of  Medusa's  head  as  it  tumbled  upon  the  sea-beaten 
sand,  awoke  the  other  two  monsters.  There  they  sat, 
for  an  instant,  sleepily  rubbing  their  eyes  with  their 
brazen  fingers,  while  all  the  snakes  on  their  heads  reared 
themselves  on  end  with  surprise,  and  with  venomous 
malice  against  they  knew  not  what.  But  when  the 
Gorgons  saw  the  scaly  carcass  of  Medusa,  headless, 
and  her  golden  wings  all  ruffled,  and  half  spread  out 
on  the  sand,  it  was  really  awful  to  hear  what  yells  and 
screeches  they  set  up.  And  then  the  snakes!  They 
sent  forth  a  hundredfold  hiss,  with  one  consent,  and 
Medusa's  snakes  answered  them  out  of  the  magic  wallet. 

No  sooner  were  the  Gorgons  broad  awake  than  they 
hurtled  upward  into  the  air,  brandishing  their  brass 
talons,  gnashing  their  horrible  tusks,  and  flapping  their 


136  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

huge  wings  so  wildly,  that  some  of  the  golden  feathers 
were  shaken  out,  and  floated  down  upon  the  shore.  And 
there,  perhaps,  those  very  feathers  lie  scattered  till 
this  day.  Up  rose  the  Gorgons,  as  I  tell  you,  staring 
horribly  about,  in  hopes  of  turning  somebody  to  stone. 
Had  Perseus  looked  them  in  the  face,  or  had  he  fallen 
into  their  clutches,  his  poor  mother  would  never  have 
kissed  her  boy  again!  But  he  took  good  care  to  turn 
his  eyes  another  way;  and,  as  he  wore  the  helmet  of 
invisibility,  the  Gorgons  knew  not  in  what  direction 
to  follow  him;  nor  did  he  fail  to  make  the  best  use  of 
the  winged  slippers,  by  soaring  upward  a  perpendicular 
mile  or  so.  At  that  height,  when  the  screams  of  those 
abominable  creatures  sounded  faintly  beneath  him,  he 
made  a  straight  course  for  the  island  of  Seriphus,  in 
order  to  carry  Medusa's  head  to  King  Polydectes. 

I  have  no  time  to  tell  you  of  several  marvellous  things 
that  befell  Perseus  on  his  way  homeward;  such  as  his 
killing  a  hideous  sea  monster,  just  as  it  was  on  the  point 
of  devouring  a  beautiful  maiden;  nor  how  he  changed 
an  enormous  giant  into  a  mountain  of  stone,  merely  by 
showing  him  the  head  of  the  Gorgon.  If  you  doubt 
this  latter  story,  you  may  make  a  voyage  to  Africa,  some 
day  or  other,  and  see  the  very  mountain,  which  is  still 
known  by  the  ancient  giant's  name. 

Finally,  our  brave  Perseus  arrived  at  the  island, 
where  he  expected  to  see  his  dear  mother.  But,  dur 
ing  his  absence,  the  wicked  king  had  treated  Danae 
so  very  ill  that  she  was  compelled  to  make  her  escape, 
and  had  taken  refuge  in  a  temple,  where  some  good 
old  priests  were  extremely  kind  to  her.  These  praise 
worthy  priests,  and  the  kind-hearted  fisherman,  who 
had  first  shown  hospitality  to  Danae  and  little  Perseus 


The  Gorgon's  Head  137 

when  he  found  them  afloat  in  the  chest,  seem  to  have 
been  the  only  persons  on  the  island  who  cared  about 
doing  right.  All  the  rest  of  the  people,  as  well  as  King 
Polydectes  himself,  were  remarkably  ill  behaved,  and 
deserved  no  better  destiny  than  that  which  was  now  to 
happen. 

Not  finding  his  mother  at  home,  Perseus  went  straight 
to  the  palace,  and  was  immediately  ushered  into  the 
presence  of  the  king.  Polydectes  was  by  no  means 
rejoiced  to  see  him;  for  he  had  felt  almost  certain,  in 
his  own  evil  mind,  that  the  Gorgons  would  have  torn 
the  poor  young  man  to  pieces,  and  have  eaten  him  up, 
out  of  the  way.  However,  seeing  him  safely  returned, 
he  put  the  best  face  he  could  upon  the  matter  and  asked 
Perseus  how  he  had  succeeded. 

"Have  you  performed  your  promise?"  inquired  he. 
"Have  you  brought  me  the  head  of  Medusa  with  the 
snaky  locks?  If  not,  young  man,  it  will  cost  you  dear; 
for  I  must  have  a  bridal  present  for  the  beautiful  Prin 
cess  Hippodamia,  and  there  is  nothing  else  that  she  would 
admire  so  much." 

"Yes,  please  Your  Majesty,"  answered  Perseus,  in  a 
quiet  way,  as  if  it  were  no  very  wonderful  deed  for  such 
a  young  man  as  he  to  perform.  "I  have  brought  you 
the  Gorgon's  head,  snaky  locks  and  all!" 

"Indeed!  Pray  let  me  see  it,"  quoth  King  Poly 
dectes.  "It  must  be  a  very  curious  spectacle,  if  all 
that  travellers  tell  about  it  be  true!" 

"Your  Majesty  is  in  the  right,"  replied  Perseus.  "It 
is  really  an  object  that  will  be  pretty  certain  to  fix  the 
regards  of  all  who  look  at  it.  And,  if  Your  Majesty 
think  fit,  I  would  suggest  that  a  holiday  be  proclaimed, 
and  that  all  Your  Majesty's  subjects  be  summoned  to 


138  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

behold  this  wonderful  curiosity.  Few  of  them,  I  imagine, 
have  seen  a  Gorgon's  head  before,  and  perhaps  never 
may  again!" 

The  king  well  knew  that  his  subjects  were  an  idle 
set  of  reprobates,  and  very  fond  of  sightseeing,  as  idle 
persons  usually  are.  So  he  took  the  young  man's  advice, 
and  sent  out  heralds  and  messengers,  in  all  directions, 
to  blow  the  trumpet  at  the  street  corners,  and  in  the 
market  places,  and  wherever  two  roads  met,  and  summon 
everybody  to  court.  Thither,  accordingly,  came  a 
great  multitude  of  good-for-nothing  vagabonds,  all  of 
whom,  out  of  pure  love  of  mischief,  would  have  been 
glad  if  Perseus  had  met  with  some  ill-hap  in  his  encounter 
with  the  Gorgons.  If  there  were  any  better  people  in 
the  island  (as  I  really  hope  there  may  have  been,  although 
the  story  tells  nothing  about  any  such),  they  stayed 
quietly  at  home,  minding  their  business,  and  taking  care 
of  their  little  children.  Most  of  the  inhabitants,  at  all 
events,  ran  as  fast  as  they  could  to  the  palace,  and 
shoved,  and  pushed,  and  elbowed  one  another  in 
their  eagerness  to  get  near  a  balcony,  on  which  Perseus 
showed  himself,  holding  the  embroidered  wallet  in 
his  hand. 

On  a  platform,  within  full  view  of  the  balcony,  sat 
the  mighty  King  Polydectes,  amid  his  evil  counsellors, 
and  with  his  flattering  courtiers  in  a  semi-circle  round 
about  him.  Monarch,  counsellors,  courtiers,  and  sub 
jects,  all  gazed  eagerly  toward  Perseus. 

"Show  us  the  head!  Show  us  the  head!"  shouted  the 
people;  and  there  was  a  fierceness  in  their  cry  as  if  they 
would  tear  Perseus  to  pieces,  unless  he  should  satisfy 
them  with  what  he  had  to  show.  "Show  us  the  head  of 
Medusa  with  the  snaky  locks!'* 


The  Gorgon's  Head  139 

A  feeling  of  sorrow  and  pity  came  over  the  youthful 
Perseus. 

"O  King  Polydectes,"  cried  he,  "and  ye  many  people, 
I  am  very  loath  to  show  you  the  Gorgon's  head!" 

"Ah,  the  villain  and  coward!"  yelled  the  people,  more 
fiercely  than  before.  "He  is  making  game  of  us!  He 
has  no  Gorgon's  head!  Show  us  the  head  if  you  have  it, 
or  we  will  take  your  own  head  for  a  football!" 

The  evil  counsellors  whispered  bad  advice  in  the  king's 
ear;  the  courtiers  murmured,  with  one  consent,  that 
Perseus  had  shown  disrespect  to  their  royal  lord  and 
master;  and  the  great  King  Polydectes  himself  waved  his 
hand,  and  ordered  him,  with  the  stern,  deep  voice  of 
authority,  on  his  peril,  to  produce  the  head. 

"Show  me  the  Gorgon's  head,  or  I  will  cut  off  your 
own!" 

And  Perseus  sighed. 

"This  instant,"  repeated  Polydectes,  "or  you  die!" 

"Behold  it  then!"  cried  Perseus,  in  a  voice  like  the 
blast  of  a  trumpet. 

And,  suddenly  holding  up  the  head,  not  an  eyelid  had 
time  to  wink  before  the  wicked  King  Polydectes,  his  evil 
counsellors,  and  all  his  fierce  subjects  were  no  longer 
anything  but  the  mere  images  of  a  monarch  and  his  peo 
ple.  They  were  all  fixed,  forever,  in  the  look  and  attitude 
of  that  moment!  At  the  first  glimpse  of  the  terrible  head 
of  Medusa,  they  whitened  into  marble!  And  Perseus 
thrust  the  head  back  into  his  wallet,  and  went  to  tell  his 
dear  mother  that  she  need  no  longer  be  afraid  of  the 
wicked  King  Polydectes. 


CHAPTER  VI 

THE  DRAGON'S  TEETH 

CADMUS,  Phoenix,  and  Cilix,  the  three  sons  of  King 
Agenor,  and  their  little  sister  Europa  (who  was  a  very 
beautiful  child)  were  at  play  together,  near  the  seashore, 
in  their  father's  kingdom  of  Phoenicia.  They  had  ram 
bled  to  some  distance  from  the  palace  where  their  parents 
dwelt,  and  were  now  in  a  verdant  meadow,  on  one  side  of 
which  lay  the  sea,  all  sparkling  and  dimpling  in  the  sun 
shine,  and  murmuring  gently  against  the  beach.  The 
three  boys  were  very  happy,  gathering  flowers,  and  twining 
them  into  garlands,  with  which  they  adorned  the  little 
Europa.  Seated  on  the  grass,  the  child  was  almost  hid 
den  under  an  abundance  of  buds  and  blossoms,  whence 
her  rosy  face  peeped  merrily  out,  and,  as  Cadmus  said, 
was  the  prettiest  of  all  the  flowers. 

Just  then,  there  came  a  splendid  butterfly,  fluttering 
along  the  meadow;  and  Cadmus,  Phoenix,  and  Cilix  set 
off  in  pursuit  of  it,  crying  out  that  it  was  a  flower  with 
wings.  Europa,  who  was  a  little  wearied  with  playing 
all  day  long,  did  not  chase  the  butterfly  with  her  brothers, 
but  sat  still  where  they  had  left  her,  and  closed  her  eyes. 
For  a  while,  she  listened  to  the  pleasant  murmur  of  the 
sea,  which  was  like  a  voice  saying  "Hush!"  and  bidding 
her  go  to  sleep.  But  the  pretty  child,  if  she  slept  at  all, 
could  not  have  slept  more  than  a  moment,  when  she 
heard  something  trample  on  the  grass,  not  far  from  her, 

140 


The  Dragon's  Teeth  141 

and  peeping  out  from  the  heap  of  flowers,  beheld  a  snow- 
white  bull. 

And  whence  could  this  bull  have  come  ?  Europa  and 
her  brothers  had  been  a  long  time  playing  in  the  meadow, 
and  had  seen  no  cattle,  nor  other  living  thing,  either  there 
or  on  the  nighbouring  hills. 

"Brother  Cadmus'."  cried  Europa,  starting  up  out  of 
the  midst  of  the  roses  and  lilies.  "Phcenix!  Cilix!  Where 
are  you  all?  Helpl  Help!  Come  and  drive  away  this 
bull!" 

But  her  brothers  were  too  far  off  to  hear;  especially  as 
the  fright  took  away  Europa's  voice,  and  hindered  her 
from  calling  very  loudly.  So  there  she  stood,  with  her 
pretty  mouth  wide  open,  as  pale  as  the  white  lilies  that 
were  twisted  among  the  other  flowers  in  her  garlands. 

Nevertheless,  it  was  the  suddenness  with  which  she 
had  perceived  the  bull,  rather  than  anything  frightful  in 
his  appearance,  that  caused  Europa  so  much  alarm.  On 
looking  at  him  more  attentively,  she  began  to  see  that  he 
was  a  beautiful  animal,  and  even  fancied  a  particularly 
amiable  expression  in  his  face.  As  for  his  breath — the 
breath  of  cattle,  you  know,  is  always  sweet — it  was  as 
fragrant  as  if  he  had  been  grazing  on  no  other  food  than 
rosebuds,  or,  at  least,  the  most  delicate  of  clover  blossoms. 
Never  before  did  a  bull  have  such  bright  and  tender  eyes, 
and  such  smooth  horns  of  ivory,  as  this  one.  And  the  bull 
ran  little  races,  and  capered  sportively  around  the  child; 
so  that  she  quite  forgot  how  big  and  strong  he  was,  and, 
from  the  gentleness  and  playfulness  of  his  actions,  soon 
came  to  consider  him  as  innocent  a  creature  as  a  pet  lamb. 

Thus,  frightened  as  she  at  first  was,  you  might  by  and 
by  have  seen  Europa  stroking  the  bull's  forehead  with 
her  small  white  hand,  and  taking  the  garlands  off  her  own 


142  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

head  to  hang  them  on  his  neck  and  ivory  horns.  Then  she 
pulled  up  some  blades  of  grass,  and  he  ate  them  out  of  her 
hand,  not  as  if  he  were  hungry,  but  because  he  wanted  to 
be  friends  with  the  child,  and  took  pleasure  in  eating  what 
she  had  touched.  Well,  my  stars!  was  there  ever  such  a 
gentle,  sweet,  pretty,  and  amiable  creature  as  this  bull, 
and  ever  such  a  nice  playmate  for  a  little  girl  ? 

When  the  animal  saw  (for  the  bull  had  so  much  intelli 
gence  that  it  is  really  wonderful  to  think  of),  when  he  saw 
that  Europa  was  no  longer  afraid  of  him,  he  grew  over 
joyed,  and  could  hardly  contain  himself  for  delight.  He 
frisked  about  the  meadow,  now  here,  now  there,  making 
sprightly  leaps,  with  as  little  effort  as  a  bird  expends  in 
hopping  from  twig  to  twig.  Indeed,  his  motion  was  as 
light  as  if  he  were  flying  through  the  air,  and  his  hoofs 
seemed  hardly  to  leave  their  print  in  the  grassy  soil  over 
which  he  trod.  With  his  spotless  hue,  he  resembled  a 
snowdrift,  wafted  along  by  the  wind.  Once  he  galloped 
so  far  away  that  Europa  feared  lest  she  might  never  see 
him  again;  so,  setting  up  her  childish  voice,  she  called 
him  back. 

"Come  back,  pretty  creature!"  she  cried.  "Here  is  a 
nice  clover  blossom." 

And  then  it  was  delightful  to  witness  the  gratitude  of 
this  amiable  bull,  and  how  he  was  so  full  of  joy  and  thank 
fulness  that  he  capered  higher  than  ever.  He  came  run 
ning,  and  bowed  his  head  before  Europa,  as  if  he  knew 
her  to  be  a  king's  daughter,  or  else  recognised  the  impor 
tant  truth  that  a  little  girl  is  everybody's  queen.  And 
not  only  did  the  bull  bend  his  neck,  he  absolutely  knelt 
down  at  her  feet,  and  made  such  intelligent  nods,  and 
other  inviting  gestures,  that  Europa  understood  what  he 
meant  just  as  well  as  if  he  had  put  it  in  so  many  words. 


The  Dragon's  Teeth  143 

"Come,  dear  child,"  was  what  he  wanted  to  say,  "let 
me  give  you  a  ride  on  my  back." 

At  the  first  thought  of  such  a  thing,  Europa  drew  back. 
But  then  she  considered  in  her  wise  little  head  that  there 
could  be  no  possible  harm  in  taking  just  one  gallop  on 
the  back  of  this  docile  and  friendly  animal,  who  would 
certainly  set  her  down  the  very  instant  she  desired  it. 
And  how  it  would  surprise  her  brothers  to  see  her  riding 
across  the  green  meadow!  And  what  merry  times  they 
might  have,  either  taking  turns  for  a  gallop,  or  clambering 
on  the  gentle  creature,  all  four  children  together,  and 
careering  round  the  field  with  shouts  of  laughter  that 
would  be  heard  as  far  off  as  King  Agenor's  palace! 

"I  think  I  will  do  it,"  said  the  child  to  herself. 

And,  indeed,  why  not  ?  She  cast  a  glance  around,  and 
caught  a  glimpse  of  Cadmus,  Phoenix,  and  Cilix,  who 
were  still  in  pursuit  of  the  butterfly,  almost  at  the  other 
end  of  the  meadow.  It  would  be  the  quickest  way  of 
rejoining  them,  to  get  upon  the  white  bull's  back.  She 
came  a  step  nearer  to  him,  therefore;  and — sociable 
creature  that  he  was — he  showed  so  much  joy  at  this  mark 
of  her  confidence,  that  the  child  could  not  find  it  in  her 
heart  to  hesitate  any  longer.  Making  one  bound  (for 
this  little  princess  was  as  active  as  a  squirrel),  there  sat 
Europa  on  the  beautiful  bull,  holding  an  ivory  horn  in 
each  hand,  lest  she  should  fall  off. 

"Softly,  pretty  bull,  softly!"  she  said,  rather  frightened 
at  what  she  had  done.  "  Do  not  gallop  too  fast." 

Having  got  the  child  on  his  back,  the  animal  gave  a 
leap  into  the  air,  and  came  down  so  like  a  feather  that 
Europa  did  not  know  when  his  hoofs  touched  the  ground. 
He  then  began  a  race  to  that  part  of  the  flowery  plain 
where  her  three  brothers  were,  and  where  they  had  just 


144  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

caught  their  splendid  butterfly.  Europa  screamed  with 
delight;  and  Phoenix,  Cilix,  and  Cadmus  stood  gaping 
at  the  spectacle  of  their  sister  mounted  on  a  white  bull, 
not  knowing  whether  to  be  frightened  or  to  wish  the  same 
good  luck  for  themselves.  The  gentle  and  innocent 
creature  (for  who  could  possibly  doubt  that  he  was  so  ?) 
pranced  round  among  the  children  as  sportively  as  a 
kitten.  Europa  all  the  while  looked  down  upon  her 
brothers,  nodding  and  laughing,  but  yet  with  a  sort  of 
stateliness  in  her  rosy  little  face.  As  the  bull  wheeled 
about  to  take  another  gallop  across  the  meadow,  the 
child  waved  her  hand,  and  said,  "Good-by,"  playfully 
pretending  that  she  was  now  bound  on  a  distant  journey, 
and  might  not  see  her  brothers  again  for  nobody  could 
tell  how  long. 

"Good-by,"  shouted  Cadmus,  Phoenix,  and  Cilix,  all 
in  one  breath. 

But,  together  with  her  enjoyment  of  the  sport,  there 
was  still  a  little  remnant  of  fear  in  the  child's  heart;  so 
that  her  last  look  at  the  three  boys  was  a  troubled  one, 
and  made  them  feel  as  if  their  dear  sister  were  really  leav 
ing  them  forever.  And  what  do  you  think  the  snowy  bull 
did  next  ?  Why,  he  set  off,  as  swift  as  the  wind,  straight 
down  to  the  seashore,  scampered  across  the  sand,  took 
an  airy  leap,  and  plunged  right  in  among  the  foaming 
billows.  The  white  spray  rose  in  a  shower  over  him  and 
little  Europa,  and  fell  spattering  down  upon  the  water. 

Then  what  a  scream  of  terror  did  the  poor  child  send 
forth!  The  three  brothers  screamed  manfully,  likewise, 
and  ran  to  the  shore  as  fast  as  their  legs  would  carry 
them,  with  Cadmus  at  their  head.  But  it  was  too  late. 
When  they  reached  the  margin  of  the  sand,  the  treacher 
ous  animal  was  already  far  away  in  the  wide  blue  sea* 


The  Dragon's  Teeth  145 

with  only  his  snowy  head  and  tail  emerging,  and  poor 
little  Europa  between  them,  stretching  out  one  hand 
toward  her  dear  brothers,  while  she  grasped  the  bull's 
ivory  horn  with  the  other.  And  there  stood  Cadmus, 
Phoenix,  and  Cilix,  gazing  at  this  sad  spectacle,  through 
their  tears,  until  they  could  no  longer  distinguish  the 
bull's  snowy  head  from  the  white-capped  billows  that 
seemed  to  boil  up  out  of  the  sea's  depths  around  him. 
Nothing  more  was  ever  seen  of  the  white  bull — nothing 
more  of  the  beautiful  child. 

This  was  a  mournful  story,  as  you  may  well  think,  for 
the  three  boys  to  carry  home  to  their  parents.  King 
Agenor,  their  father,  was  the  ruler  of  the  whole  country; 
but  he  loved  his  little  daughter  Europa  better  than  his 
kingdom,  or  than  all  his  other  children,  or  than  anything 
else  in  the  world.  Therefore,  when  Cadmus  and  his  two 
brothers  came  crying  home,  and  told  him  how  that  a 
white  bull  had  carried  off  their  sister,  and  swam  with  her 
over  the  sea,  the  king  was  quite  beside  himself  with  grief 
and  rage.  Although  it  was  now  twilight,  and  fast  growing 
dark,  he  bade  them  set  out  instantly  in  search  of  her. 

"Never  shall  you  see  my  face  again,"  he  cried,  "unless 
you  bring  me  back  my  little  Europa,  to  gladden  me  with 
her  smiles  and  her  pretty  ways.  Begone,  and  enter  my 
presence  no  more,  till  you  come  leading  her  by  the  hand." 

As  King  Agenor  said  this,  his  eyes  flashed  fire  (for  he 
was  a  very  passionate  king),  and  he  looked  so  terribly 
angry  that  the  poor  boys  did  not  even  venture  to  ask  for 
their  suppers,  but  slunk  away  out  of  the  palace,  and  only 
paused  on  the  steps  a  moment  to  consult  whither  they 
should  go  first.  While  they  were  standing  there,  all  in 
dismay,  their  mother,  Queen  Telephassa  (who  happened 
not  to  be  by  when  they  told  the  story  to  the  king),  came 


146  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

hurrying  after  them,  and  said  that  she,  too,  would  go  in 
quest  of  her  daughter. 

"Oh  no,  mother!"  cried  the  boys.  "The  night  is 
dark,  and  there  is  no  knowing  what  troubles  and  perils 
we  may  meet  with." 

"Alas!  my  dear  children,"  answered  poor  Queen 
Telephassa,  weeping  bitterly,  "that  is  only  another  reason 
why  I  should  go  with  you.  If  I  should  lose  you,  too,  as 
well  as  my  little  Europa,  what  would  become  of  me?" 

"And  let  me  go  likewise!"  said  their  playfellow  Thasus, 
who  came  running  to  join  them. 

Thasus  was  the  son  of  a  seafaring  person  in  the  neigh 
bourhood;  he  had  been  brought  up  with  the  young  prin 
cess,  and  was  their  intimate  friend,  and  loved  Europa 
very  much;  so  they  consented  that  he  should  accompany 
them.  The  whole  party,  therefore,  set  forth  together; 
Cadmus,  Phoenix,  Cilix  and  Thasus  clustered  round 
Queen  Telephassa,  grasping  her  skirts,  and  begging  her 
to  lean  upon  their  shoulders  whenever  she  felt  weary.  In 
this  manner  they  went  down  the  palace  steps,  and  began 
a  journey  which  turned  out  to  be  a  great  deal  longer  than 
they  dreamed  of.  The  last  that  they  saw  of  King  Agenor, 
he  came  to  the  door,  with  a  servant  holding  a  torch  beside 
him,  and  called  after  them  into  the  gathering  darkness: 

"Remember!  Never  ascend  these  steps  again  without 
the  child!" 

"Never!"  sobbed  Queen  Telephassa;  and  the  three 
brothers  and  Thasus  answered, ' '  Never !  Never !  Never ! 
Never!" 

And  they  kept  their  word.  Year  after  year  King 
Agenor  sat  in  the  solitude  of  his  beautiful  palace,  listening 
in  vain  for  their  returning  footsteps,  hoping  to  hear  the 
familiar  voice  of  the  queen,  and  the  cheerful  talk  of  his 


The  Dragon's  Teeth  147 

sons  and  their  playfellow  Thasus,  entering  the  door 
together,  and  the  sweet,  childish  accents  of  little  Europa 
in  the  midst  of  them.  But  so  long  a  time  went  by,  that, 
at  last,  if  they  had  really  come,  the  king  would  not  have 
known  that  this  was  the  voice  of  Telephassa,  and  these 
the  younger  voices  that  used  to  make  such  joyful  echoes 
when  the  children  were  playing  about  the  palace.  We 
must  now  leave  King  Agenor  to  sit  on  his  throne,  and 
must  go  along  with  Queen  Telephassa  and  her  four  youth 
ful  companions. 

They  went  on  and  on,  and  travelled  a  long  way,  and 
passed  over  mountains  and  rivers,  and  sailed  over  seas. 
Here,  and  there,  and  everywhere,  they  made  continual 
inquiry  if  any  person  could  tell  them  what  had  become  of 
Europa.  The  rustic  people,  of  whom  they  asked  this 
question,  paused  a  little  while  from  their  labours  in  the 
field,  and  looked  very  much  surprised.  They  thought  it 
strange  to  behold  a  woman  in  the  garb  of  a  queen  (for 
Telephassa,  in  her  haste,  had  forgotten  to  take  off  her 
crown  and  her  royal  robes),  roaming  about  the  country, 
with  four  lads  around  her,  on  such  an  errand  as  this 
seemed  to  be.  But  nobody  could  give  them  any  tidings 
of  Europa;  nobody  had  seen  a  little  girl  dressed  like  a 
princess,  and  mounted  on  a  snow-white  bull,  which 
galloped  as  swiftly  as  the  wind. 

I  cannot  tell  you  how  long  Queen  Telephassa,  and 
Cadmus,  Phcenix,  and  Cilix,  her  three  sons,  and  Thasus, 
their  playfellow,  went  wandering  along  the  highways  and 
bypaths,  or  through  the  pathless  wildernesses  of  the 
earth,  in  this  manner.  But  certain  it  is,  that,  before  they 
reached  any  place  of  rest,  their  splendid  garments  were 
quite  worn  out.  They  all  looked  very  much  travel 
stained,  and  would  have  had  the  dust  of  many  countries 


148  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

on  their  shoes,  if  the  streams,  through  which  they  waded, 
had  not  washed  it  all  away.  When  they  had  been  gone 
a  year,  Telephassa  threw  away  her  crown,  because  it 
chafed  her  forehead. 

"It  has  given  me  many  a  headache,"  said  the  poor 
queen,  "and  it  cannot  cure  my  heartache." 

As  fast  as  their  princely  robes  got  torn  and  tattered, 
they  exchanged  them  for  such  mean  attire  as  ordinary 
people  wore.  By  and  by  they  came  to  have  a  wild  and 
homeless  aspect;  so  that  you  would  much  sooner  have 
taken  them  for  a  gypsy  family  than  a  queen  and  three 
princes,  and  a  young  nobleman,  who  had  once  a  palace 
for  their  home,  and  a  train  of  servants  to  do  their  bidding. 
The  four  boys  grew  up  to  be  tall  young  men,  with  sun 
burnt  faces.  Each  of  them  girded  on  a  sword,  to  defend 
themselves  against  the  perils  of  the  way.  When  the  hus 
bandmen,  at  whose  farmhouses  they  sought  hospitality, 
needed  their  assistance  in  the  harvest  field,  they  gave  it 
willingly ;  and  Queen  Telephassa  (who  had  done  no  work 
in  her  palace,  save  to  braid  silk  threads  with  golden  ones) 
came  behind  them  to  bind  the  sheaves.  If  payment  was 
offered,  they  shook  their  heads,  and  only  asked  for  tidings 
of  Europa.  \ 

"There  are  bulls  enough  in  my  pasture,"  the  old 
farmers  would  reply;  "but  I  never  heard  of  one  like  this 
you  tell  me  of.  A  snow-white  bull  with  a  little  princess 
on  his  back!  Ho!  ho!  I  ask  your  pardon,  good  folks; 
but  there  never  was  such  a  sight  seen  hereabouts." 

At  last,  when  his  upper  lip  began  to  have  the  down  on 
it,  Phcenix  grew  weary  of  rambling  hither  and  thither  to 
no  purpose.  So,  one  day,  when  they  happened  to  be 
passing  through  a  pleasant  and  solitary  tract  of  country. 
he  sat  himself  down  on  a  heap  of  moss. 


The  Dragon's  Teeth  149 

"I  can  go  no  farther,"  said  Phoenix.  "It  is  a  mere 
foolish  waste  of  life,  to  spend  it,  as  we  do,  in  always  wan 
dering  up  and  down,  and  never  coming  to  any  home  at 
nightfall.  Our  sister  is  lost,  and  never  will  be  found. 
She  probably  perished  in  the  sea;  or,  to  whatever  shore 
the  white  bull  may  have  carried  her,  it  is  now  so  many 
years  ago,  that  there  would  be  neither  love  nor  acquaint 
ance  between  us  should  we  meet  again.  My  father  has 
forbidden  us  to  return  to  his  palace;  so  I  shall  build  me  a 
hut  of  branches,  and  dwell  here." 

"Well,  son  Phcenix,"  said  Telephassa,  sorrowfully, 
"you  have  grown  to  be  a  man,  and  must  do  as  you  judge 
best.  But,  for  my  part,  I  will  still  go  in  quest  of  my  poor 
child." 

"And  we  three  will  go  along  with  you!"  cried  Cadmus 
and  Cilix,  and  their  faithful  friend  Thasus. 

But,  before  setting  out,  they  all  helped  Phcenix  to  build 
a  habitation.  When  completed,  it  was  a  sweet  rural 
bower,  roofed  overhead  with  an  arch  of  living  boughs. 
Inside  there  were  two  pleasant  rooms,  one  of  which  had  a 
soft  heap  of  moss  for  a  bed,  while  the  other  was  furnished 
with  a  rustic  seat  or  two,  curiously  fashioned  out  of  the 
crooked  roots  of  trees.  So  comfortable  and  homelike 
did  it  seem,  that  Telephassa  and  her  three  companions 
could  not  help  sighing,  to  think  that  they  must  still  roam 
about  the  world,  instead  of  spending  the  remainder  of 
their  lives  in  some  such  cheerful  abode  as  they  had  here 
built  for  Phcenix.  But,  when  they  bade  him  farewell, 
Phcenix  shed  tears,  and  probably  regretted  that  he  was 
no  longer  to  keep  them  company. 

However,  he  had  fixed  upon  an  admirable  place  to 
dwell  in.  And  by  and  by  there  came  other  people,  who 
chanced  to  have  no  homes;  and,  seeing  how  pleasant  a 


150  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

spot  it  was,  they  built  themselves  huts  in  the  neighbour* 
hood  of  Phoenix's  habitation.  Thus,  before  many  years 
went  by,  a  city  had  grown  up  there,  in  the  centre  of  which 
was  seen  a  stately  palace  of  marble,  wherein  dwelt  Phcenix, 
clothed  in  a  purple  robe,  and  wearing  a  golden  crown 
upon  his  head.  For  the  inhabitants  of  the  new  city, 
finding  that  he  had  royal  blood  in  his  veins,  had  chosen 
him  to  be  their  king.  The  very  first  decree  of  state  which 
King  Phcenix  issued  was,  that  if  a  maiden  happened  to 
arrive  in  the  kingdom,  mounted  on  a  snow-white  bull, 
and  calling  herself  Europa,  his  subjects  should  treat  her 
with  the  greatest  kindness  and  respect,  and  immediately 
bring  her  to  the  palace.  You  may  see,  by  this,  that 
Phoenix's  conscience  never  quite  ceased  to  trouble  him, 
for  giving  up  the  quest  of  his  dear  sister,  and  sitting  him 
self  down  to  be  comfortable,  while  his  mother  and  her 
companions  went  onward. 

But  often  and  often,  at  the  close  of  a  weary  day's  jour 
ney,  did  Telephassa  and  Cadmus,  Cilix  and  Thasus, 
remember  the  pleasant  spot  in  which  they  had  left 
Phcenix.  It  was  a  sorrowful  prospect  for  these  wan 
derers,  that  on  the  morrow  they  must  again  set  forth,  and 
that,  after  many  nightfalls,  they  would  perhaps  be  no 
nearer  the  close  of  their  toilsome  pilgrimage  than  now. 
These  thoughts  made  them  all  melancholy  at  times,  but 
appeared  to  torment  Cilix  more  than  the  rest  of  the  party. 
At  length,  one  morning,  when  they  were  taking  their 
staffs  in  hand  to  set  out,  he  thus  addressed  them: 

"My  dear  mother,  and  you  good  brother  Cadmus,  and 
my  friend  Thasus,  methinks  we  are  like  people  in  a  dream. 
There  is  no  substance  in  the  life  which  we  are  leading. 
It  is  such  a  dreary  length  of  time  since  the  white  bull  car 
ried  off  my  sister  Europa,  that  I  have  quite  forgotten  how 


The  Dragon's  Teeth  151 

she  looked,  and  the  tones  of  her  voice,  and,  indeed,  almost 
doubt  whether  such  a  little  girl  ever  lived  in  the  world. 
And  whether  she  once  lived  or  no,  I  am  convinced  that 
she  no  longer  survives,  and  that  therefore  it  is  the  merest 
folly  to  waste  our  own  lives  and  happiness  in  seeking  her. 
Were  we  to  find  her,  she  would  now  be  a  woman  grown, 
and  would  look  upon  us  all  as  strangers.  So,  to  tell  you 
the  truth,  I  have  resolved  to  take  up  my  abode  here;  and 
I  entreat  you,  mother;  brother,  and  friend,  to  follow  my 
example." 

"Not  I,  for  one,"  said  Telephassa;  although  the  poor 
queen,  firmly  as  she  spoke,  was  so  travel  worn  that  she 
could  hardly  put  her  foot  to  the  ground— "not  I,  for  one! 
In  the  depths  of  my  heart,  little  Europa  is  still  the  rosy 
child  who  ran  to  gather  flowers  so  many  years  ago.  She 
has  not  grown  to  womanhood,  nor  forgotten  me.  At 
noon,  at  night,  journeying  onward,  sitting  down  to  rest, 
her  childish  voice  is  always  in  my  ears,  calling,  'Mother! 
mother! '  Stop  here  who  may,  there  is  no  repose  for  me." 

"Nor  for  me,"  said  Cadmus,  "while  my  dear  mother 
pleases  to  go  onward." 

And  the  faithful  Thasus,  too,  was  resolved  to  bear  them 
company.  They  remained  with  Cilix  a  few  days,  how 
ever,  and  helped  him  to  build  a  rustic  bower,  resembling 
the  one  which  they  had  formerly  built  for  Phoenix. 

When  they  were  bidding  him  farewell,  Cilix  burst  into 
tears,  and  told  his  mother  that  it  seemed  just  as  melan 
choly  a  dream  to  stay  there,  in  solitude,  as  to  go  onward. 
If  she  really  believed  that  they  would  ever  find  Europa, 
he  was  willing  to  continue  the  search  with  them,  even 
now.  But  Telephassa  bade  him  remain  there,  and  be 
happy,  if  his  own  heart  would  let  him.  So  the  pilgrims 
took  their  leave  of  him,  and  departed,  and  were  hardly 


152  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

out  of  sight  before  some  other  wandering  people  came 
along  that  way,  and  saw  Cilix's  habitation,  and  were 
greatly  delighted  with  the  appearance  of  the  place.  There 
being  abundance  of  unoccupied  ground  in  the  neighbour 
hood,  these  strangers  built  huts  for  themselves,  and  were 
soon  joined  by  a  multitude  of  new  settlers,  who 'quickly 
formed  a  city.  In  the  middle  of  it  was  seen  a  magnificent 
palace  of  coloured  marble,  on  the  balcony  of  which,  every 
noontide,  appeared  Cilix,  in  a  long  purple  robe,  and  with 
a  jewelled  crown  upon  his  head;  for  the  inhabitants,  when 
they  found  out  that  he  was  a  king's  son,  had  considered 
him  the  fittest  of  all  men  to  be  a  king  himself. 

One  of  the  first  acts  of  King  Cilix's  government  was  to 
send  out  an  expedition,  consisting  of  a  grave  ambassador 
and  an  escort  of  bold  and  hardy  young  men,  with  orders 
to  visit  the  principal  kingdoms  of  the  earth,  and  inquire 
whether  a  young  maiden  had  passed  through  those 
regions,  galloping  swiftly  on  a  white  bull.  It  is,  therefore, 
plain  to  my  mind,  that  Cilix  secretly  blamed  himself  for 
giving  up  the  search  for  Europa,  as  long  as  he  was  able  to 
put  one  foot  before  the  other. 

As  for  Telephassa,  and  Cadmus,  and  the  good  Thasus, 
it  grieves  me  to  think  of  them,  still  keeping  up  that  weary 
pilgrimage.  The  two  young  men  did  their  best  for  the 
poor  queen,  helping  her  over  the  rough  places,  often  car 
rying  her  across  rivulets  in  their  faithful  arms,  and  seeking 
to  shelter  her  at  nightfall,  even  when  they  themselves  lay 
on  the  ground.  Sad,  sad  it  was  to  hear  them  asking  of 
every  passerby  if  he  had  seen  Europa,  so  long  after  the 
white  bull  had  carried  her  away.  But,  though  the  gray 
years  thrust  themselves  between,  and  made  the  child's 
figure  dim  in  their  remembrance,  neither  of  these  true- 
hearted  three  ever  dreamed  of  giving  up  the  search. 


The  Dragon's  Teeth  153 

One  morning,  however,  poor  Thasus  found  that  he 
had  sprained  his  ankle,  and  could  not  possibly  go  a  step 
farther. 

"After  a  few  days,  to  be  sure,"  said  he,  mournfully,  "I 
might  make  shift  to  hobble  along  with  a  stick.  But  that 
would  only  delay  you,  and  perhaps  hinder  you  from 
finding  dear  little  Europa,  after  all  your  pains  and  trouble. 
Do  you  go  forward,  therefore,  my  beloved  companions, 
and  leave  me  to  follow  as  I  may." 

"Thou  hast  been  a  true  friend,  dear  Thasus,"  said 
Queen  Telephassa,  kissing  his  forehead.  "Being  neither 
my  son,  nor  the  brother  of  our  lost  Europa,  thou  hast 
shown  thyself  truer  to  me  and  her  than  Phoenix  and  Cilix 
did,  whom  we  have  left  behind  us.  Without  thy  loving 
help,  and  that  of  my  son  Cadmus,  my  limbs  could  not 
have  borne  me  half  so  far  as  this.  Now,  take  thy  rest, 
and  be  at  peace.  For — and  it  is  the  first  time  I  have 
owned  it  to  myself — I  begin  to  question  whether  we  shall 
ever  find  my  beloved  daughter  in  this  world." 

Saying  this,  the  poor  queen  shed  tears,  because  it  was 
a  grievous  trial  to  the  mother's  heart  to  confess  that  her 
hopes  were  growing  faint.  From  that  day  forward,  Cad 
mus  noticed  that  she  never  travelled  with  the  same 
alacrity  of  spirit  that  had  heretofore  supported  her.  Her 
weight  was  heavier  upon  his  arm. 

Before  setting  out,  Cadmus  helped  Thasus  build  a 
bower;  while  Telephassa,  being  too  infirm  to  give  any 
great  assistance,  advised  them  how  to  fit  it  up  and  furnish 
it,  so  that  it  might  be  as  comfortable  as  a  hut  of  branches 
could.  Thasus,  however,  did  not  spend  all  his  days  in 
this  green  bower.  For  it  happened  to  him,  as  to  Phoenix 
and  Cilix,  that  other  homeless  people  visited  the  spot  and 
liked  it,  and  built  themselves  habitations  in  the  neighbour- 


154  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

hood.  So  here,  in  the  course  of  a  few  years,  was  another 
thriving  city  with  a  red  freestone  palace  in  the  centre  of 
it,  where  Thasus  set  upon  a  throne,  doing  justice  to  the 
people,  with  a  purple  robe  over  his  shoulders,  a  sceptre 
in  his  hand,  and  a  crown  upon  his  head.  The  inhabitants 
had  made  him  king,  not  for  the  sake  of  any  royal  blood 
(for  none  was  in  his  veins),  but  because  Thasus  was  an 
upright,  true-hearted,  and  courageous  man,  and  therefore 
fit  to  rule. 

But,  when  the  affairs  of  his  kingdom  were  all  settled, 
King  Thasus  laid  aside  his  purple  robe,  and  crown,  and 
sceptre,  and  bade  his  worthiest  subject  distribute  justice 
to  the  people  in  his  stead.  Then,  grasping  the  pilgrim's 
staff  that  had  supported  him  so  long,  he  set  forth  again, 
hoping  still  to  discover  some  hoof  mark  of  the  snow-white 
bull,  some  trace  of  the  vanished  child.  He  returned,  after 
a  lengthened  absence,  and  sat  down  wearily  upon  his 
throne.  To  his  latest  hour,  nevertheless,  King  Thasus 
showed  his  true-hearted  remembrance  of  Europa,  by 
ordering  that  a  fire  should  always  be  kept  burning  in  his 
palace,  and  a  bath  steaming  hot,  and  food  ready  to  be 
served  up,  and  a  bed  with  snow-white  sheets,  in  case  the 
maiden  shDuld  arrive,  and  require  immediate  refresh 
ment.  And  though  Europa  never  came,  the  good  Thasus 
had  the  blessings  of  many  a  poor  traveller,  who  profited 
by  the  food  and  lodging  which  were  meant  for  the  little 
playmate  of  the  king's  boyhood. 

Telephassa  and  Cadmus  were  now  pursuing  their 
weary  way,  with  no  companion  but  each  other.  The 
queen  leaned  heavily  upon  her  son's  arm,  and  could  walk 
only  a  few  miles  a  day.  But  for  all  her  weakness  and 
weariness,  she  would  not  be  persuaded  to  give  up  the 
search.  It  was  enough  to  bring  tears  into  the  eyes  of 


The  Dragon's  Teeth  155 

bearded  men  to  hear  the  melancholy  tone  with  which  she 
inquired  of  every  stranger  whether  he  could  tell  her  any 
news  of  the  lost  child. 

"Have  you  seen  a  little  girl — no,  no,  I  mean  a  young 
maiden  of  full  growth — passing  by  this  way,  mounted  on 
a  snow-white  bull,  which  gallops  as  swiftly  as  the  wind  ?  " 

"We  have  seen  no  such  wondrous  sight,"  the  people 
would  reply;  and  very  often,  taking  Cadmus  aside,  they 
whispered  to  him,  "Is  this  stately  and  sad-looking  woman 
your  mother?  Surely  she  is  not  in  her  right  mind;  and 
you  ought  to  take  her  home,  and  make  her  comfortable, 
and  do  your  best  to  get  this  dream  out  of  her  fancy." 

"It  is  no  dream,"  said  Cadmus.  "Everything  else  is 
a  dream,  save  that." 

But,  one  day,  Telephassa  seemed  feebler  than  usual, 
and  leaned  almost  her  whole  weight  on  the  arm  of  Cad 
mus,  and  walked  more  slowly  than  ever  before.  At  last 
they  reached  a  solitary  spot,  where  she  told  her  son  that 
she  must  needs  lie  down,  and  take  a  good,  long  rest. 

"A  good,  long  rest!"  she  repeated,  looking  Cadmus  ten 
derly  in  the  face — "a  good,  long  rest,  thou  dearest  one!" 

"As  long  as  you  please,  dear  mother,"  answered  Cad 
mus. 

Telephassa  bade  him  sit  down  on  the  turf  beside  her, 
and  then  she  took  his  hand. 

"My  son,"  said  she,  fixing  her  dim  eyes  most  lovingly 
upon  him,  "this  rest  that  I  speak  of  will  be  very  long 
indeed!  You  must  not  wait  till  it  is  finished.  Dear  Cad 
mus,  you  do  not  comprehend  me.  You  must  make  a 
grave  here,  and  lay  your  mother's  weary  frame  into  it. 
My  pilgrimage  is  over." 

Cadmus  burst  into  tears,  and,  for  a  long  time,  refused 
to  believe  that  his  dear  mother  was  now  to  be  taken  from 


156  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

him.  But  Telephassa  reasoned  with  him,  and  kissed 
him,  and  at  length  made  him  discern  that  it  was  better  for 
her  spirit  to  pass  away  out  of  the  toil,  the  weariness,  the 
grief,  and  disappointment  which  had  burdened  her  on 
earth,  ever  since  the  child  was  lost.  He  therefore  re 
pressed  his  sorrow,  and  listened  to  her  last  words. 

"Dearest  Cadmus,"  said  she,  "thou  hast  been  the 
truest  son  that  ever  mother  had,  and  faithful  to  the  very 
last.  Who  else  would  have  borne  with  my  infirmities  as 
thou  hast!  It  is  owing  to  thy  care,  thou  tenderest  child, 
that  my  grave  was  not  dug  long  years  ago,  in  some  valley, 
or  on  some  hillside,  that  lies  far,  far  behind  us.  It  is 
enough.  Thou  shalt  wander  no  more  on  this  hopeless 
search.  But  when  thou  hast  laid  thy  mother  in  the  earth, 
then  go,  my  son,  to  Delphi,  and  inquire  of  the  oracle  wrhat 
thou  shalt  do  next." 

"O  mother,  mother,"  cried  Cadmus,  "couldst  thou 
but  have  seen  my  sister  before  this  hour!" 

"It  matters  little  now,"  answered  Telephassa,  and 
there  was  a  smile  upon  her  face.  "I  go  now  to  the  better 
world,  and,  sooner  or  later,  shall  find  my  daughter  there." 

I  will  not  sadden  you,  my  little  hearers,  with  telling 
how  Telephassa  died  and  was  buried,  but  will  only  say, 
that  her  dying  smile  grew  brighter,  instead  of  vanishing 
from  her  dead  face;  so  that  Cadmus  felt  convinced  that, 
at  her  very  first  step  into  the  better  world,  she  had  caught 
Europa  in  her  arms.  He  planted  some  flowers  on  his 
mother's  grave,  and  left  them  to  grow  there,  and  make 
the  place  beautiful,  when  he  should  be  far  away. 

After  performing  this  last  sorrowful  duty,  he  set  forth 
alone,  and  took  the  road  toward  the  famous  oracle  of 
Delphi,  as  Telephassa  had  advised  him.  On  his  way 
thither,  he  still  inquired  of  most  people  whom  he  met 


The  Dragon's  Teeth  157 

whether  they  had  seen  Europa;  for,  to  say  the  truth, 
Cadmus  had  grown  so  accustomed  to  ask  the  question, 
that  it  came  to  his  lips  as  readily  as  a  remark  about  the 
weather.  He  received  various  answers.  Some  told  him 
one  thing,  and  some  another.  Among  the  rest,  a  mariner 
affirmed,  that,  many  years  before,  in  a  distant  country, 
he  had  heard  a  rumour  about  a  white  bull,  which  came 
swimming  across  the  sea  with  a  child  on  his  back,  dressed 
up  in  flowers  that  were  blighted  by  the  sea  water.  He 
did  not  know  what  had  become  of  the  child  or  the  bull; 
and  Cadmus  suspected,  indeed,  by  a  queer  twinkle  in  the 
mariner's  eyes,  that  he  was  putting  a  joke  upon  him,  and 
had  never  really  heard  anything  about  the  matter. 

Poor  Cadmus  found  it  more  wearisome  to  travel  alone 
than  to  bear  all  his  dear  mother's  weight  while  she  had 
kept  him  company.  His  heart,  you  will  understand,  was 
now  so  heavy  that  it  seemed  impossible,  sometimes,  to 
carry  it  any  farther.  But  his  limbs  were  strong  and  active 
and  well  accustomed  to  exercise.  He  walked  swiftly 
along,  thinking  of  King  Agenor  and  Queen  Telephassa, 
and  his  brothers,  and  the  friendly  Thasus,  all  of  whom  he 
had  left  behind  him,  at  one  point  of  his  pilgrimage  or 
another,  and  never  expected  to  see  them  any  more.  Full 
of  these  remembrances,  he  came  within  sight  of  a  lofty 
mountain,  which  the  people  thereabouts  told  him  was 
called  Parnassus.  On  the  slope  of  Mount  Parnassus  was 
the  famous  Delphi,  whither  Cadmus  was  going. 

This  Delphi  was  supposed  to  be  the  very  midmost  spot 
of  the  whole  world.  The  place  of  the  oracle  was  a  certain 
cavity  in  the  mountain  side,  over  which,  when  Cadmus 
came  thither,  he  found  a  rude  bower  of  branches.  It 
reminded  him  of  those  which  he  had  helped  to  build  for 
Phcenix  and  Cilix,  and  afterward  for  Thasus.  In  later 


158  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

times,  when  multitudes  of  people  came  from  great  dis 
tances  to  put  questions  to  the  oracle,  a  spacious  temple  of 
marble  was  erected  over  the  spot.  But  in  the  days  of 
Cadmus,  as  I  have  told  you,  there  was  only  this  rustic 
bower,  with  its  abundance  of  green  foliage,  and  a  tuft  of 
shrubbery,  that  ran  wild  over  the  mysterious  hole  in  the 
hillside. 

When  Cadmus  had  thrust  a  passage  through  the 
tangled  boughs,  and  made  his  way  into  the  bower,  he 
did  not  at  first  discern  the  half-hidden  cavity.  But  soon 
he  felt  a  cold  stream  of  air  rushing  out  of  it,  with  so  much 
force  that  it  shook  the  ringlets  on  his  cheek.  Pulling 
away  the  shrubbery  which  clustered  over  the  hole,  he  bent 
forward,  and  spoke  in  a  distinct  but  reverential  tone,  as  if 
addressing  some  unseen  personage  inside  of  the  mountain. 

" Sacred  oracle  of  Delphi,"  said  he,  "whither  shall  I  go 
next  in  quest  of  my  dear  sister  Europa  ?  " 

There  was  at  first  a  deep  silence,  and  then  a  rushing 
sound,  or  a  noise  like  a  long  sigh,  proceeding  out  of  the 
interior  of  the  earth.  This  cavity,  you  must  know,  was 
looked  upon  as  a  sort  of  fountain  of  truth,  which  some 
times  gushed  out  in  audible  words;  although,  for  the 
most  part,  these  words  were  such  a  riddle  that  they  might 
just  as  well  have  stayed  at  the  bottom  of  the  hole.  But 
Cadmus  was  more  fortunate  than  many  others  who  went 
to  Delphi  in  search  of  truth.  By  and  by,  the  rushing 
noise  began  to  sound  like  articulate  language.  It  re 
peated,  over  and  over  again,  the  following  sentence,  which, 
after  all,  was  so  like  the  vague  whistle  of  a  blast  of  air, 
that  Cadmus  really  did  not  quite  know  whether  it  meant 
anything  or  not: 

"Seek  her  no  more!  Seek  her  no  more!  Seek  her  no 
more!" 


The  Dragon's  Teeth  159 

"What,  then,  shall  I  do?"  asked  Cadmus. 

For,  ever  since  he  was  a  child,  you  know,  it  had  been 
the  great  object  of  his  life  to  find  his  sister.  From  the  very 
hour  that  he  left  following  the  butterfly  in  the  meadow,  near 
his  father's  palace,  he  had  done  his  best  to  follow  Europa, 
over  land  and  sea.  And  now,  if  he  must  give  up  the 
search,  he  seemed  to  have  no  more  business  in  the  world. 

But  again  the  sighing  gust  of  air  grew  into  something 
like  a  hoarse  voice. 

"Follow  the  cow! "  ft  said.  "Follow  the  cow!  Follow 
the  cow!" 

And  when  these  words  had  been  repeated  until  Cadmus 
was  tired  of  hearing  them  (especially  as  he  could  not 
imagine  what  cow  it  was,  or  why  he  was  to  follow  her), 
the  gusty  hole  gave  vent  to  another  sentence. 

"Where  the  stray  cow  lies  down,  there  is  your  home." 

These  words  were  pronounced  but  a  single  time,  and 
died  away  into  a  whisper  before  Cadmus  was  fully  satis 
fied  that  he  had  caught  the  meaning.  He  put  other  ques 
tions,  but  received  no  answer;  only  the  gust  of  wind  sighed 
continually  out  of  the  cavity,  and  blew  the  withered  leaves 
rustling  along  the  ground  before  it. 

"Did  there  really  come  any  words  out  of  the  hole?" 
thought  Cadmus;  "or  have  I  been  dreaming  all  this 
while?" 

He  turned  away  from  the  oracle,  and  thought  himself 
no  wiser  than  when  he  came  thither.  Caring  little  what 
might  happen  to  him,  he  took  the  first  path  that  offered 
itself,  and  went  along  at  a  sluggish  pace;  for,  having  no 
object  in  view,  nor  any  reason  to  go  one  way  more  than 
another,  it  would  certainly  have  been  foolish  to  make 
haste.  Whenever  he  met  anybody,  the  old  question  was 
at  his  tongue's  end: 


160  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

"Have  you  seen  a  beautiful  maiden,  dressed  like  a 
king's  daughter,  and  mounted  on  a  snow-white  bull,  that 
gallops  as  swiftly  as  the  wind?" 

But,  remembering  what  the  oracle  had  said,  he  only 
half  uttered  the  words,  and  then  mumbled  the  rest  indis 
tinctly;  and  from  his  confusion,  people  must  have  im 
agined  that  this  handsome  young  man  had  lost  his  wits. 

I  know  not  how  far  Cadmus  had  gone,  nor  could  he 
himself  have  told  you,  when,  at  no  great  distance  before 
him,  he  beheld  a  brindled  cow.  She  was  lying  down  by 
the  wayside,  and  quietly  chewing  her  cud;  nor  did  she 
take  any  notice  of  the  young  man  until  he  had  approached 
pretty  nigh.  Then,  getting  leisurely  upon  her  feet,  and 
giving  her  head  a  gentle  toss,  she  began  to  move  along  at 
a  moderate  pace,  often  pausing  just  long  enough  to  crop 
a  mouthful  of  grass.  Cadmus  loitered  behind,  whistling 
idly  to  himself,  and  scarcely  noticing  the  cow;  until  the 
thought  occurred  to  him,  whether  this  could  possibly  be 
the  animal  which,  according  to  the  oracle's  response,  was 
to  serve  him  for  a  guide.  But  he  smiled1  at  himself  for 
fancying  such  a  thing.  He  could  not  seriously  think  that 
this  was  the  cow,  because  she  went  along  so  quietly, 
behaving  just  like  any  other  cow.  Evidently  she  neither 
knew  nor  cared  so  much  as  a  wisp  of  hay  about  Cadmus, 
and  was  only  thinking  how  to  get  her  living  along  the 
wayside,  where  the  herbage  was  green  and  fresh.  Per 
haps  she  was  going  home  to  be  milked. 

"Cow,  cow,  cow!"  cried  Cadmus.  "Hey,  Brindle, 
hey!  Stop,  my  good  cow." 

He  wanted  to  come  up  with  the  cow,  so  as  to  examine 
her,  and  see  if  she  would  appear  to  know  him,  or  whether 
there  were  any  peculiarities  to  distinguish  her  from  a 
thousand  other  cows,  whose  only  business  is  to  fill  the 


The  Dragon's  Teeth  161 

milk  pail,  and  sometimes  kick  it  over.  But  still  the 
brindled  cow  trudged  on,  whisking  her  tail  to  keep  the 
flies  away,  and  taking  as  little  notice  of  Cadmus  as  she 
well  could.  If  he  walked  slowly,  so  did  the  cow,  and  seized 
the  opportunity  to  graze.  If  he  quickened  his  pace,  the 
cow  went  just  so  much  the  faster ;  and  once,  when  Cadmus 
tried  to  catch  her  by  running,  she  threw  out  her  heels, 
stuck  her  tail  straight  on  end,  and  set  off  at  a  gallop,  look 
ing  as  queerly  as  cows  generally  do,  while  putting  them 
selves  to  their  speed. 

When  Cadmus  saw  that  it  was  impossible  to  come  up 
with  her,  he  walked  on  moderately,  as  before.  The  cow, 
too,  went  leisurely  on,  without  looking  behind.  Wherever 
the  grass  was  greenest,  there  she  nibbled  a  mouthful  or 
two.  Where  a  brook  glistened  brightly  across  the  path, 
there  the  cow  drank,  and  breathed  a  comfortable  sigh,  and 
drank  again,  and  trudged  onward  at  the  pace  that  best 
suited  herself  and  Cadmus. 

"I  do  believe,"  thought  Cadmus,  "that  this  may  be  the 
cow  that  was  foretold  me.  If  it  be  the  one,  I  suppose  she 
will  lie  down  somewhere  hereabouts." 

Whether  it  were  the  oracular  cow  or  some  other  one,  it 
did  not  seem  reasonable  that  she  should  travel  a  great  way 
farther.  So,  whenever  they  reached  a  particularly  pleas 
ant  spot  on  a  breezy  hillside,  or  in  a  sheltered  vale,  or 
flowery  meadow,  on  the  shore  of  a  calm  lake,  or  along  the 
bank  of  a  clear  stream,  Cadmus  looked  eagerly  around  to 
see  if  the  situation  would  suit  him  for  a  home.  But  still, 
whether  he  liked  the  place  or  no,  the  brindled  cow  never 
offered  to  lie  down.  On  she  went  at  the  quiet  pace  of  a 
cow  going  homeward  to  the  barnyard;  and,  every  moment 
Cadmus  expected  to  see  a  milkmaid  approaching  with  a 
pail,  or  a  herdsman  running  to  head  the  stray  animal,  and 


162  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

turn  her  back  toward  the  pasture.  But  no  milkmaid 
came;  no  herdsman  drove  her  back;  and  Cadmus  fol 
lowed  the  stray  brindle  till  he  was  almost  ready  to  drop 
down  with  fatigue. 

"O  brindled  cow,"  cried  he,  in  a  tone  of  despair,  "do 
you  never  mean  to  stop?" 

He  had  now  grown  too  intent  on  following  her  to  think 
of  lagging  behind,  however  long  the  way,  and  whatever 
might  be  his  fatigue.  Indeed,  it  seemed  as  if  there  were 
something  about  the  animal  that  bewitched  people. 
Several  persons  who  happened  to  see  the  brindled  cow, 
and  Cadmus  following  behind,  began  to  trudge  after  her, 
precisely  as  he  did.  Cadmus  was  glad  of  somebody  to 
converse  with,  and  therefore  talked  very  freely  to  these 
good  people.  He  told  them  all  his  adventures,  and  how 
he  had  left  King  Agenor  in  his  palace,  and  Phoenix  at  one 
place,  and  Cilix  at  another,  and  Thasus  at  a  third,  and  his 
dear  mother,  Queen  Telephassa,  under  a  flowery  sod;  so 
that  now  he  was  quite  alone,  both  friendless  and  home 
less.  He  mentioned,  likewise,  that  the  oracle  had  bidden 
him  be  guided  by  a  cow,  and  inquired  of  the  strangers 
whether  they  supposed  that  this  brindled  animal  could 
be  the  one. 

"Why,  'tis  a  very  wonderful  affair,"  answered  one  of 
his  new  companions.  "I  am  pretty  well  acquainted  with 
the  ways  of  cattle,  and  I  never  knew  a  cow,  of  her  own 
accord,  to  go  so  far  without  stopping.  If  my  legs  will  let 
me,  I'll  never  leave  following  the  beast  till  she  lies  down." 

"Nor  I!"  said  a  second. 

"Nor  I!"  cried  a  third.  "If  she  goes  a  hundred  miles 
farther,  I'm  determined  to  see  the  end  of  it." 

The  secret  of  it  was,  you  must  know,  that  the  cow  was 
an  enchanted  cow,  and  that,  without  their  being  conscious 


The  Dragon's  Teeth  163 

of  it,  she  threw  some  of  her  enchantment  over  everybody 
that  took  so  much  as  half  a  dozen  steps  behind  her.  They 
could  not  possibly  help  following  her,  though,  all  the 
time,  they  fancied  themselves  doing  it  of  their  own  accord. 
The  cow  was  by  no  means  very  nice  in  choosing  her  path; 
so  that  sometimes  they  had  to  scramble  over  rocks,  or 
wade  through  mud  and  mire,  and  were  all  in  a  terribly 
bedraggled  condition,  and  tired  to  death,  and  very  hun 
gry,  into  the  bargain.  What  a  weary  business  it  was! 

But  still  they  kept  trudging  stoutly  forward,  and  talking 
as  they  went.  The  strangers  grew  very  fond  of  Cadmus, 
and  resolved  never  to  leave  him,  but  to  help  him  build  a 
city  wherever  the  cow  might  lie  down.  In  the  centre  of 
it  there  should  be  a  noble  palace,  in  which  Cadmus  might 
dwell,  and  be  their  king,  with  a  throne,  a  crown  and  scep 
tre,  a  purple  robe,  and  everything  else  that  a  king  ought 
to  have;  for  in  him  there  was  the  royal  blood,  and  the 
royal  heart,  and  the  head  that  knew  how  to  rule. 

While  they  were  talking  of  these  schemes,  and  beguiling 
the  tediousness  of  the  way  with  laying  out  the  plan  of  the 
new  city,  one  of  the  company  happened  to  look  at  the  cow. 

"Joy!  joy!"  cried  he,  clapping  his  hands.  "Brindle 
is  going  to  lie  down." 

They  all  looked;  and,  sure  enough,  the  cow  had  stopped 
and  was  staring  leisurely  about  her,  as  other  cows  do 
when  on  the  point  ot  lying  down.  And  slowly,  slowly 
did  she  recline  herself  on  the  soft  grass,  first  bending  her 
fore  legs,  and  then  crouching  her  hind  ones.  When  Cad 
mus  and  his  companions  came  up  with  her,  there  was  the 
brindled  cow  taking  her  ease,  chewing  her  cud,  and  look 
ing  them  quietly  in  the  face;  as  if  this  was  just  the  spot 
she  had  been  seeking  for,  and  as  if  it  were  all  a  matter  of 
course. 


164  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

"This,  then,"  said  Cadmus,  gazing  around  him,  "this 
is  to  be  my  home." 

It  was  a  fertile  and  lovely  plain,  with  great  trees  flinging 
their  sun-speckled  shadows  over  it,  and  hills  fencing  it  in 
from  the  rough  weather.  At  no  great  distance,  they 
beheld  a  river  gleaming  in  the  sunshine.  A  home  feeling 
stole  into  the  heart  of  poor  Cadmus.  He  was  very  glad 
to  know  that  here  he  might  awake  in  the  morning,  without 
the  necessity  of  putting  on  his  dusty  sandals  to  travel 
farther  and  farther.  The  days  and  the  years  would  pass 
over  him,  and  find  him  still  in  this  pleasant  spot.  If  he 
could  have  had  his  brothers  with  him,  and  his  friend 
Thasus,  and  could  have  seen  his  dear  mother  under  a 
roof  of  his  own,  he  might  here  have  been  happy,  after 
all  their  disappointments.  Some  day  or  other,  too,  his 
sister  Europa  might  have  come  quietly  to  the  door  of  his 
home,  and  smiled  round  upon  the  familiar  faces.  But, 
indeed,  since  there  was  no  hope  of  regaining  the  friends 
of  his  boyhood,  or  ever  seeing  his  dear  sister  again,  Cad 
mus  resolved  to  make  himself  happy  with  these  new  com 
panions,  who  had  grown  so  fond  of  him  while  following 
the  cow. 

"Yes,  my  friends,"  said  he  to  them, ."this  is  to  be  our 
home.  Here  we  will  build  our  habitations.  The  brin 
dled  cow,  which  has  led  us  hither,  will  supply  us  with 
milk.  We  will  cultivate  the  neighbouring  soil,  and  lead 
an  innocent  and  happy  life." 

His  companions  joyfully  assented  to  this  plan;  and,  in 
the  first  place,  being  very  hungry  and  thirsty,  they  looked 
about  them  for  the  means  of  providing  a  comfortable 
meal.  Not  far  off,  they  saw  a  tuft  of  trees,  which  ap 
peared  as  if  there  might  be  a  spring  of  water  beneath 
them.  They  went  thither  to  fetch  some,  leaving  Cadmus 


The  Dragon's  Teeth  16$ 

stretched  on  the  ground  along  with  the  brindled  cow;  for, 
now  that  he  had  found  a  place  of  rest,  it  seemed  as  if  all 
the  weariness  of  his  pilgrimage,  ever  since  he  left  King 
Agenor's  palace,  had  fallen  upon  him  at  once.  But  his 
new  friends  had  not  long  been  gone,  when  he  was  sud 
denly  startled  by  cries,  shouts,  and  screams,  and  the  noise 
of  a  terrible  struggle,  and  in  the  midst  of  it  all,  a  most 
awful  hissing,  which  went  right  through  his  ears  like  a 
rough  saw. 

Running  toward  the  tuft  of  trees,  he  beheld  the  head 
and  fiery  eyes  of  an  immense  serpent  or  dragon,  with  the 
widest  jaws  that  ever  a  dragon  had,  and  a  vast  many  rows 
of  horribly  sharp  teeth.  Before  Cadmus  could  reach  the 
spot,  this  pitiless  reptile  had  killed  his  poor  companions, 
and  was  busily  devouring  them,  making  but  a  mouthful 
of  each  man. 

It  appears  that  the  fountain  of  water  was  enchanted, 
and  that  the  dragon  had  been  set  to  guard  it,  so  that  no 
mortal  might  ever  quench  his  thirst  there.  As  the  neigh 
bouring  inhabitants  carefully  avoided  the  spot,  it  was  now 
a  long  time  (not  less  than  a  hundred  years,  or  there 
abouts)  since  the  monster  had  broken  his  fast;  and,  as 
was  natural  enough,  his  appetite  had  grown  to  be  enor 
mous,  and  was  not  half  satisfied  by  the  poor  people  whom 
he  had  just  eaten  up.  When  he  caught  sight  of  Cadmus, 
therefore,  he  set  up  another  abominable  hiss,  and  flung 
back  his  immense  jaws,  until  his  mouth  looked  like  a 
great  red  cavern,  at  the  farther  end  of  which  were  seen 
the  legs  of  his  last  victim,  whom  he  had  hardly  had  time 
to  swallow. 

But  Cadmus  was  so  enraged  at  the  destruction  of  his 
friends,  that  he  cared  neither  for  the  size  of  the  dragon's 
jaws  nor  for  his  hundreds  of  sharp  teeth.  Drawing  his 


1 66  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

sword,  he  rushed  at  the  monster,  and  flung  himself  right 
into  his  cavernous  mouth.  This  bold  method  of  attack- 
ing  him  took  the  dragon  by  surprise;  for,  in  fact,  Cadmus 
had  leaped  so  far  down  into  his  throat,  that  the  rows  of 
terrible  teeth  could  not  close  upon  him,  nor  do  him  the 
least  harm  in  the  world.  Thus,  though  the  struggle  was 
a  tremendous  one,  and  though  the  dragon  shattered  the 
tuft  of  trees  into  small  splinters  by  the  lashing  of  his  tail, 
yet,  as  Cadmus  was  all  the  while  slashing  and  stabbing 
at  his  very  vitals,  it  was  not  long  before  the  scaly  wretch 
bethought  himself  of  slipping  away.  He  had  not  gone 
his  length,  however,  when  the  brave  Cadmus  gave  him  a 
sword  thrust  that  finished  the  battle;  and,  creeping  out 
of  the  gateway  of  the  creature's  jaws,  there  he  beheld  him 
still  wriggling  his  vast  bulk,  although  there  was  no  longer 
life  enough  in  him  to  harm  a  little  child. 

But  do  not  you  suppose  that  it  made  Cadmus  sorrow 
ful  to  think  of  the  melancholy  fate  which  had  befallen 
those  poor,  friendly  people,  who  had  followed  the  cow 
along  with  him  ?  It  seemed  as  if  he  were  doomed  to  lose 
everybody  whom  he  loved,  or  to  see  them  perish  in  one 
way  or  another.  And  here  he  was,  after  all  his  toils  and 
troubles,  in  a  solitary  place,  with  not  a  single  human 
being  to  help  him  build  a  hut. 

"What  shall  I  do?"  cried  he  aloud.  "It  were  better 
for  me  to  have  been  devoured  by  the  dragon,  as  my  poor 
companions  were." 

"Cadmus,"  said  a  voice — but  whether  it  came  from 
above  or  below  him,  or  whether  it  spoke  within  his  own 
breast,  the  young  man  could  not  tell — "Cadmus,  pluck 
out  the  dragon's  teeth,  and  plant  them  in  the  earth." 

This  was  a  strange  thing  to  do;  nor  was  it  very  easy, 
I  should  imagine,  to  dig  out  all  those  deep-rooted  fangs 


The  Dragon's  Teeth  167 

from  the  dead  dragon's  jaws.  But  Cadmus  toiled  and 
tugged,  and  after  pounding  the  monstrous  head  almost  to 
pieces  with  a  great  stone,  he  at  last  collected  as  many  teeth 
as  might  have  filled  a  bushel  or  two.  The  next  thing  was 
to  plant  them.  This,  likewise,  was  a  tedious  piece  of 
work,  especially  as  Cadmus  was  already  exhausted  with 
killing  the  dragon  and  knocking  his  head  to  pieces,  and 
had  nothing  to  dig  the  earth  with,  that  I  know  of,  unless 
it  were  his  sword  blade.  Finally,  however,  a  sufficiently 
large  tract  of  ground  was  turned  up,  and  sown  with  this 
new  kind  of  seed;  although  half  of  the  dragon's  teeth 
still  remained  to  be  planted  some  other  day. 

Cadmus,  quite  out  of  breath,  stood  leaning  upon  his 
sword,  and  wondering  what  was  to  happen  next.  He  had 
waited  but  a  few  moments,  when  he  began  to  see  a  sight, 
which  was  as  great  a  marvel  as  the  most  marvellous  thing 
I  ever  told  you  about. 

The  sun  was  shining  slantwise  over  the  field,  and 
showed  all  the  moist,  'dark  soil  just  like  any  other  newly 
planted  piece  of  ground.  All  at  once,  Cadmus  fancied 
he  saw  something  glisten  very  brightly,  first  at  one  spot, 
then  at  another,  and  then  at  a  hundred  and  a  thousand 
spots  together.  Soon  he  perceived  them  to  be  the  steel 
heads  of  spears,  sprouting  up  everywhere  like  so  many 
stalks  of  grain,  and  continually  growing  taller  and  taller. 
Next  appeared  a  vast  number  of  bright  sword  blades, 
thrusting  themselves  up  in  the  same  way.  A  moment 
afterward,  the  whole  surface  of  the  ground  was  broken 
up  by  a  multitude  of  polished  brass  helmets,  coming  up 
like  a  crop  of  enormous  beans.  So  rapidly  did  they  grow, 
that  Cadmus  now  discerned  the  fierce  countenance  of  a 
man  beneath  every  one.  In  short,  before  he  had  time 
to  think  what  a  wonderful  affair  it  was,  he  beheld  an 


168  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

abundant  harvest  of  what  looked  like  human  beingSj 
armed  with  helmets  and  breastplates,  shields,  swords  and 
spears;  and  before  they  were  well  out  of  the  earth,  they 
brandished  their  weapons,  and  clashed  them  one  against 
another,  seeming  to  think,  little  while  as  they  had  yet 
lived,  that  they  had  wasted  too  much  of  life  without  a 
battle.  Every  tooth  of  the  dragon  had  produced  one  of 
these  sons  of  deadly  mischief. 

Up  sprouted,  also,  a  great  many  trumpeters;  and  with 
the  first  breath  that  they  drew,  they  put  their  brazen 
trumpets  to  their  lips,  and  sounded  a  tremendous  and 
ear-shattering  blast;  so  that  the  whole  space,  just  now  so 
quiet  and  solitary,  reverberated  with  the  clash  and  clang 
of  arms,  the  bray  of  warlike  music,  and  the  shouts  of 
angry  men.  So  enraged  did  they  all  look,  that  Cadmus 
fully  expected  them  to  put  the  whole  world  to  the  sword. 
How  fortunate  would  it  be  for  a  great  conqueror,  if  he 
could  get  a  bushel  of  the  dragon's  teeth  to  sow! 

"Cadmus,"  said  the  same  voice  which  he  had  before 
heard,  "throw  a  stone  into  the  midst  of  the  armed  men." 

So  Cadmus  seized  a  large  stone,  and,  flinging  it  into 
the  middle  of  the  earth  army,  saw  it  strike  the  breast 
plate  of  a  gigantic  and  fierce-looking  warrior.  Imme 
diately  on  feeling  the  blow,  he  seemed  to  take  it  for 
granted  that  somebody  had  struck  him;  and,  uplifting 
his  weapon,  he  smote  his  next  neighbour  a  blow  that  cleft 
his  helmet  asunder,  and  stretched  him  on  the  ground. 
In  an  instant,  those  nearest  the  fallen  warrior  began  to 
strike  at  one  another  with  their  swords  and  stab  with 
their  spears.  The  confusion  spread  wider  and  wider. 
Each  man  smote  down  his  brother,  and  was  himself 
smitten  down  before  he  had  time  to  exult  in  his  victory. 
The  trumpeters,  all  the  while,  blew  their  blasts  shriller 


The  Dragon's  Teeth  169 

and  shriller;  each  soldier  shouted  a  battle  cry  and  often 
fell  with  it  on  his  lips.  It  was  the  strangest  spectacle  of 
causeless  wrath,  and  of  mischief  for  no  good  end,  that  had 
ever  been  witnessed;  but,  after  all,  it  was  neither  more 
foolish  nor  more  wicked  than  a  thousand  battles  that  have 
since  been  fought,  in  which  men  have  slain  their  brothers 
with  just  as  little  reason  as  these  children  of  the  dragon's 
teeth.  It  ought  to  be  considered,  too,  that  the  dragon 
people  were  made  for  nothing  else;  whereas  other  mor 
tals  were  born  to  love  and  help  one  another. 

Well,  this  memorable  battle  continued  to  rage  until  the 
ground  was  strewn  with  helmeted  heads  that  had  been 
cut  off.  Of  all  the  thousands  that  began  the  fight,  there 
were  only  five  left  standing.  These  now  rushed  from 
different  parts  of  the  field,  and,  meeting  in  the  middle  of 
it,  clashed  their  swords,  and  struck  at  each  other's  hearts 
as  fiercely  as  ever. 

" Cadmus,"  said  the  voice  again,  "bid  those  five 
warriors  to  sheathe  their  swords.  They  will  help  you  to 
build  the  city." 

Without  hesitating  an  instant,  Cadmus  stepped  for 
ward,  with  the  aspect  of  a  king  and  a  leader,  and  extend 
ing  his  drawn  sword  amongst  them,  spoke  to  the  warriors 
in  a  stern  and  commanding  voice. 

"Sheathe  your  weapons  1"  said  he. 

And  forthwith,  feeling  themselves  bound  to  obey  him, 
the  five  remaining  sons  of  the  dragon's  teeth  made  him  a 
military  salute  with  their  swords,  returned  them  to  the 
scabbards,  and  stood  before  Cadmus  in  a  rank,  eyeing 
him  as  soldiers  eye  their  captain,  while  awaiting  the  word 
of  command. 

These  five  men  had  probably  sprung  from  the  biggest 
of  the  dragon's  teeth,  and  were  the  boldest  and  strongest 


170  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

of  the  whole  army.  They  were  almost  giants,  indeed, 
and  had  good  need  to  be  so,  else  they  never  could  have 
lived  through  so  terrible  a  fight.  They  still  had  a  very 
furious  look,  and,  if  Cadmus  happened  to  glance  aside, 
would  glare  at  one  another,  with  fire  flashing  out  of  their 
eyes.  It  was  strange,  too,  to  observe  how  the  earth,  out 
of  which  they  had  so  lately  grown,  was  incrusted,  here 
and  there,  on  their  bright  breastplates,  and  even  begrimed 
their  faces,  just  as  you  may  have  seen  it  clinging  to  beets 
and  carrots  when  pulled  out  of  their  native  soil.  Cadmus 
hardly  knew  whether  to  consider  them  as  men,  or  some 
odd  kind  of  vegetable;  although,  on  the  whole,  he  con 
cluded  that  there  was  human  nature  in  them,  because 
they  were  so  fond  of  trumpets  and  weapons,  and  so  ready 
to  shed  blood. 

They  looked  him  earnestly  in  the  face,  waiting  for  his 
next  order,  and  evidently  desiring  no  other  employment 
than  to  follow  him  from  one  battlefield  to  another,  all 
over  the  wide  world.  But  Cadmus  was  wiser  than  these 
earth-born  creatures,  with  the  dragon's  fierceness  in  them, 
and  knew  better  how  to  use  their  strength  and  hardihood. 

"Come!"  said  he.  "You  are  sturdy  fellows.  Make 
yourselves  useful!  Quarry  some  stones  with  those  great 
swords  of  yours,  and  help  me  to  build  a  city." 

The  five  soldiers  grumbled  a  little,  and  muttered  that 
it  was  their  business  to  overthrow  cities,  not  to  build  them 
up.  But  Cadmus  looked  at  them  with  a  stern  eye,  and 
spoke  to  them  in  a  tone  of  authority,  so  that  they  knew 
him  for  their  master,  and  never  again  thought  of  disobey 
ing  his  commands.  They  set  to  work  in  good  earnest,  and 
toiled  so  diligently,  that,  in  a  very  short  time,  a  city  began 
to  make  its  appearance.  At  first,  to  be  sure,  the  work 
men  showed  a  quarrelsome  disposition.  Like  savage 


The  Dragon's  Teeth  171 

beasts,  they  would  doubtless  have  done  one  another  a 
mischief,  if  Cadmus  had  not  kept  watch  over  them  and 
quelled  the  fierce  old  serpent  that  lurked  in  their  hearts, 
when  he  saw  it  gleaming  out  of  their  wild  eyes.  But,  in 
course  of  time,  they  got  accustomed  to  honest  labour,  and 
had  sense  enough  to  feel  that  there  was  more  true  enjoy 
ment  in  living  at  peace,  and  doing  good  to  one's  neigh 
bour,  than  in  striking  at  him  with  a  two-edged  sword.  It 
may  not  be  too  much  to  hope  that  the  rest  of  mankind  will 
by  and  by  grow  as  wise  and  peaceable  as  these  five  earth- 
begrimed  warriors,  who  sprang  from  the  dragon's  teeth. 

And  now  the  city  was  built,  and  there  was  a  home  in  it 
for  each  of  the  workmen.  But  the  palace  of  Cadmus  was 
not  yet  erected,  because  they  had  left  it  till  the  last,  mean 
ing  to  introduce  all  the  new  improvements  of  architecture, 
and  make  it  very  commodious,  as  well  as  stately  and 
beautiful.  After  finishing  the  rest  of  their  labours,  they 
all  went  to  bed  betimes,  in  order  to  rise  in  the  gray  of  the 
morning,  and  get  at  least  the  foundation  of  the  edifice  laid 
before  nightfall.  But,  when  Cadmus  arose,  and  took 
his  way  toward  the  site  where  the  palace  was  to  be  built, 
followed  by  his  five  sturdy  workmen  marching  all  in  a 
row,  what  do  you  think  he  saw? 

What  should  it  be  but  the  most  magnificent  palace  that 
had  ever  been  seen  in  the  world  ?  It  was  built  of  marble 
and  other  beautiful  kinds  of  stone,  and  rose  high  into  the 
air,  with  a  splendid  dome  and  a  portico  along  the  front, 
and  carved  pillars,  and  everything  else  that  befitted  the 
habitation  of  a  mighty  king.  It  had  grown  up  out  of  the 
earth  in  almost  as  short  a  time  as  it  had  taken  the  armed 
host  to  spring  from  the  dragon's  teeth;  and  what  made 
the  matter  more  strange,  no  seed  of  this  stately  edifice 
had  ever  been  planted. 


172  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

When  the  five  workmen  beheld  the  dome,  with  the 
morning  sunshine  making  it  look  golden  and  glorious, 
they  gave  a  great  shout. 

"Long  live  King  Cadmus,"  they  cried,  "in  his  beautiful 
palace." 

And  the  new  king,  with  his  five  faithful  followers  at 
his  heels,  shouldering  their  pickaxes  and  marching  in  a 
rank  (for  they  still  had  a  soldier-like  sort  of  behaviour,  as 
their  nature  was),  ascended  the  palace  steps.  Halting  at 
the  entrance,  they  gazed  through  a  long  vista  of  lofty 
pillars  that  were  ranged  from  end  to  end  of  a  great  hall. 
At  the  farther  extremity  of  this  hall,  approaching  slowly 
toward  him,  Cadmus  beheld  a  female  figure,  wonderfully 
beautiful,  and  adorned  with  a  royal  robe,  and  a  crown  of 
diamonds  over  her  golden  ringlets,  and  the  richest  neck 
lace  that  ever  a  queen  wore.  His  heart  thrilled  with 
delight.  He  fancied  it  his  long-lost  sister  Europa,  now 
grown  to  womanhood,  coming  to  make  him  happy,  and 
to  repay  him,  with  her  sweet  sisterly  affection,  for  all 
those  weary  wanderings  in  quest  of  her  since  he  left  King 
Agenor's  palace — for  the  tears  that  he  had  shed,  on  parting 
with  Phoenix,  and  Cilix,  and  Thasus — for  the  heart- 
breakings  that  had  made  the  whole  world  seem  dismal  to 
him  over  his  dear  mother's  grave. 

But,  as  Cadmus  advanced  to  meet  the  beautiful 
stranger,  he  saw  that  her  features  were  unknown  to  him, 
although,  in  the  little  time  that  it  required  to  tread  along 
the  hall,  he  had  already  felt  a  sympathy  betwixt  himself 
and  her. 

"No,  Cadmus,"  said  the  same  voice  that  had  spoken 
to  him  in  the  field  of  the  armed  men,  "this  is  not  that  dear 
sister  Europa  whom  you  have  sought  so  faithfully  all 
over  the  wide  world.  This  is  Harmonia,  a  daughter  of 


The  Dragon's  Teeth  173 

the  sky,  who  is  given  you  instead  of  sister,  and  brothers, 
and  friend,  and  mother.  You  will  find  all  those  dear 
ones  in  her  alone." 

So  King  Cadmus  dwelt  in  the  palace,  with  his  new 
friend  Harmonia,  and  found  a  great  deal  of  comfort  in  his 
magnificent  abode,  but  would  doubtless  have  found  as 
much,  if  not  more,  in  the  humblest  cottage  by  the  wayside. 
Before  many  years  went  by,  there  was  a  group  of  rosy  little 
children  (but  how  they  came  thither  has  always  been  a 
mystery  to  me)  sporting  in  the  great  hall,  and  on  the 
marble  steps  of  the  palace,  and  running  joyfully  to  meet 
King  Cadmus  when  affairs  of  state  left  him  at  leisure  to 
play  with  them.  They  called  him  father,  and  Queen 
Harmonia  mother.  The  five  old  soldiers  of  the  dragon's 
teeth  grew  very  fond  of  these  small  urchins,  and  were 
never  weary  of  showing  them  how  to  shoulder  sticks, 
flourish  wooden  swords,  and  march  in  military  order, 
blowing  a  penny  trumpet,  or  beating  an  abominable 
rub-a-dub  upon  a  little  drum. 

But  King  Cadmus,  lest  there  should  be  too  much  of 
the  dragon's  tooth  in  his  children's  disposition,  used  to 
find  time  from  his  kingly  duties  to  teach  them  their 
A  B  C — which  he  invented  for  their  benefit,  and  for 
which  many  little  people,  I  am  afraid,  are  not  half  so 
grateful  to  him  as  they  ought  to  be. 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE  MIRACULOUS  PITCHER 

ONE  evening,  in  times  long  ago,  old  Philemon  and 
his  old  wife  Baucis  sat  at  their  cottage  door,  enjoying 
the  calm  and  beautiful  sunset.  They  had  already  eaten 
their  frugal  supper,  and  intended  now  to  spend  a  quiet 
hour  or  two  before  bedtime.  So  they  talked  together 
about  their  garden,  and  their  cow,  and  their  bees,  and 
their  grapevine,  which  clambered  over  the  cottage  wall, 
and  on  which  the  grapes  were  beginning  to  turn  purple. 
But  the  rude  shouts  of  children,  and  the  fierce  barking 
of  dogs,  in  the  village  near  at  hand,  grew  louder  and 
louder,  until,  at  last,  it  was  hardly  possible  for  Baucis 
and  Philemon  to  hear  each  other  speak. 

"Ah,  wife,"  cried  Philemon,  "I  fear  some  poor  trav 
eller  is  seeking  hospitality  among  our  neighbours  yonder, 
and,  instead  of  giving  him  food  and  lodging,  they  have 
set  their  dogs  at  him,  as  their  custom  is!" 

"Well-a-day!"  answered  old  Baucis,  "I  do  wish  our 
neighbours  felt  a  little  more  kindness  for  their  fellow 
creatures.  And  only  think  of  bringing  up  their  children 
in  this  naughty  way,  and  patting  them  on  the  head  when 
they  fling  stones  at  strangers!" 

"  Those  children  will  never  come  to  any  good,"  said 
Philemon,  shaking  his  white  head.  "To  tell  you  the 
truth,  wife,  I  should  not  wonder  if  some  terrible  thing 
were  to  happen  to  all  the  people  in  the  village,  unless 


The  Miraculous  Pitcher  175 

they  mend  their  manners.  But,  as  for  you  and  me,  so 
long  as  Providence  affords  us  a  crust  of  bread,  let  us  be 
ready  to  give  half  to  any  poor,  homeless  stranger  that 
may  come  along  and  need  it." 

"  That's  right,  husband  i "  said  Baucis.  "  So  we  will ! " 
These  old  folks,  you  must  know,  were  quite  poor, 
and  had  to  work  pretty  hard  for  a  living.  Old  Philemon 
toiled  diligently  in  his  garden,  while  Baucis  was  always 
busy  with  her  distaff,  or  making  a  little  butter  and 
cheese  with  their  cow's  milk,  or  doing  one  thing  and 
another  about  the  cottage.  Their  food  was  seldom 
anything  but  bread,  milk,  and  vegetables,  with  some 
times  a  portion  of  honey  from  their  beehive,  and  now 
and  then  a  bunch  of  grapes  that  had  ripened  against 
the  cottage  wall.  But  they  were  two  of  the  kindest 
old  people  in  the  world,  and  would  cheerfully  have  gone 
without  their  dinners,  any  day,  rather  than  refuse  a 
slice  of  their  brown  loaf,  a  cup  of  new  milk,  and  a  spoon 
ful  of  honey,  to  the  weary  traveller  who  might  pause 
before  their  door.  They  felt  as  if  such  guests  had  a 
sort  of  holiness,  and  that  they  ought,  therefore,  to  treat 
them  better  and  more  bountifully  than  their  own  selves. 
Their  cottage  stood  on  a  rising  ground,  at  some  short 
distance  from  a  village,  which  lay  in  a  hollow  valley 
that  was  about  half  a  mile  in  breadth.  This  valley,  in 
past  ages,  when  the  world  was  new,  had  probably  been 
the  bed  of  a  lake.  There,  fishes  had  glided  to  and  fro 
in  the  depths,  and  water  weeds  had  grown  along  the 
margin,  and  trees  and  hills  had  seen  their,  reflected 
images  in  the  broad  and  peaceful  mirror.  But,  as  the 
waters  subsided,  men  had  cultivated  the  soil,  and  built 
houses  on  it,  so  that  it  was  now  a  fertile  spot,  and  bore 
no  traces  of  the  ancient  lake,  except  a  very  small  brook, 


176  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

which  meandered  through  the  midst  of  the  village,  and 
supplied  the  inhabitants  with  water.  The  valley  had 
been  dry  land  so  long  that  oaks  had  sprung  up,  and 
grown  great  and  high,  and  perished  with  old  age,  and 
been  succeeded  by  others,  as  tall  and  stately  as  the  first. 
Never  was  there  a  prettier  or  more  fruitful  valley.  The 
very  sight  of  the  plenty  around  them  should  have  made 
the  inhabitants  kind  and  gentle,  and  ready  to  show  their 
gratitude  to  Providence  by  doing  good  to  their  fellow 
creatures. 

But,  we  are  sorry  to  say,  the  people  of  this  lovely 
village  were  not  worthy  to  dwell  in  a  spot  on  which 
Heaven  had  smiled  so  beneficently.  They  were  a  very 
selfish  and  hard-hearted  people,  and  had  no  pity  for 
the  poor,  nor  sympathy  with  the  homeless.  They  would 
only  have  laughed,  had  anybody  told  them  that  human 
beings  owe  a  debt  of  love  to  one  another,  because  there 
is  no  other  method  of  paying  the  debt  of  love  and  care 
which  all  of  us  owe  to  Providence.  You  will  hardly 
believe  what  I  am  going  to  tell  you.  These  naughty 
people  taught  their  children  to  be  no  better  than  them 
selves,  and  used  to  clap  their  hands,  by  way  of  encour 
agement,  when  they  saw  the  little  boys  and  girls  run  after 
some  poor  stranger,  shouting  at  his  heels,  and  pelting 
him  with  stones.  They  kept  large  and  fierce  dogs,  and 
whenever  a  traveller  ventured  to  show  himself  in  the 
village  street,  this  pack  of  disagreeable  curs  scampered 
to  meet  him,  barking,  snarling,  and  showing  their  teeth. 
Then  they  would  seize  him  by  his  leg,  or  by  his  clothes, 
just  as  it  happened;  and  if  he  were  ragged  when  he  came, 
he  was  generally  a  pitiable  object  before  he  had  time  to 
run  away.  This  was  a  very  terrible  thing  to  poor  trav 
ellers,  as  you  may  suppose,  especially  when  they  chanced 


The  Miraculous  Pitcher  177 

to  be  sick,  or  feeble,  or  lame,  or  old.  Such  persons  (if 
they  once  knew  how  badly  these  unkind  people,  and 
their  unkind  children  and  curs,  were  in  the  habit  of 
behaving)  would  go  miles  and  miles  out  of  their  way, 
rather  than  try  to  pass  through  the  village  again. 

What  made  the  matter  seem  worse,  if  possible,  was 
that  when  rich  persons  came  in  their  chariots,  or  rid 
ing  on  beautiful  horses,  with  their  servants  in  rich  liv 
eries  attending  on  them,  nobody  could  be  more  civil 
and  obsequious  than  the  inhabitants  of  the  village. 
They  would  take  off  their  hats,  and  make  the  humblest 
bows  you  ever  saw.  If  the  children  were  rude,  they 
were  pretty  certain  to  get  their  ears  boxed;  and  as  for 
the  dogs,  if  a  single  cur  in  the  pack  presumed  to  yelp, 
his  master  instantly  beat  him  with  a  club,  and  tied  him 
up  without  any  supper.  This  would  have  been  all  very 
well,  only  it  proved  that  the  villagers  cared  much  about 
the  money  that  a  stranger  had  in  his  pocket,  and  nothing 
whatever  for  the  human  soul,  which  lives  equally  in  the 
beggar  and  the  prince. 

So  now  you  can  understand  why  old  Philemon  spoke 
so  sorrowfully,  when  he  heard  the  shouts  of  the  children 
and  the  barking  of  the  dogs,  at  the  farther  extremity  of 
the  village  street.  There  was  a  confused  din,  which 
lasted  a  good  while,  and  seemed  to  pass  quite  through 
the  breadth  of  the  valley. 

"I  never  heard  the  dogs  so  loud  I"  observed  the  good 
old  man. 

"Nor  the  children  so  rude!"  answered  his  good  old 
wife. 

They  sat  shaking  their  heads,  one  to  another,  while 
the  noise  came  nearer  and  nearer;  until,  at  the  foot  of 
the  little  eminence  on  which  their  cottage  stood,  they 


178  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

saw  two  travellers  approaching  on  foot.  Close  behind 
them  came  the  fierce  dogs,  snarling  at  their  very  heels. 
A  little  farther  off,  ran  a  crowd  of  children,  who  sent 
up  shrill  cries,  and  flung  stones  at  the  two  strangers, 
with  all  their  might.  Once  or  twice,  the  younger  of 
the  two  men  (he  was  a  slender  and  very  active  figure) 
turned  about  and  drove  back  the  dogs  with  a  staff  which 
he  carried  in  his  hand.  His  companion,  who  was  a 
very  tall  person,  walked  calmly  along,  as  if  disdaining 
to  notice  either  the  naughty  children,  or  the  pack  of  curs, 
whose  manners  the  children  seemed  to  imitate. 

Both  of  the  travellers  were  very  humbly  clad,  and 
looked  as  if  they  might  not  have  money  enough  in  their 
pockets  to  pay  for  a  night's  lodging.  And  this,  I  am 
afraid,  was  the  reason  why  the  villagers  had  allowed 
their  children  and  dogs  to  treat  them  so  rudely. 

"Come,  wife,"  said  Philemon  to  Baucis,  "let  us  go 
and  meet  these  poor  people.  No  doubt,  they  feel  almost 
too  heavy  hearted  to  climb  the  hill." 

"Go  you  and  meet  them,"  answered  Baucis,  "while 
I  make  haste  within  doors,  and  see  whether  we  can  get 
them  anything  for  supper.  A  comfortable  bowl  of 
bread  and  milk  would  do  wonders  toward  raising  their 
spirits." 

Accordingly,  she  hastened  into  the  cottage.  Phile 
mon,  on  his  part,  went  forward,  and  extended  his  hand 
with  so  hospitable  an  aspect  that  there  was  no  need  of 
saying  what  nevertheless  he  did  say,  in  the  heartiest  tone 
imaginable: 

"Welcome,  strangers!  welcome!" 

"Thank  you!"  replied  the  younger  of  the  two,  in  a 
lively  kind  of  way,  notwithstanding  his  weariness  and 
trouble.  "This  is  quite  another  greeting  than  we  have 


The  Miraculous  Pitcher  179 

met  with  yonder  in  the  village.  Pray,  why  do  you  live 
in  such  a  bad  neighbourhood?" 

"Ah!"  observed  old  Philemon,  with  a  quiet  and  benign 
smile,  "Providence  put  me  here,  I  hope,  among  other 
reasons,  in  order  that  I  may  make  you  what  amends  I 
can  for  the  inhospitality  of  my  neighbours." 

"Well  said,  old  father!"  cried  the  traveller,  laugh 
ing;  "and,  if  the  truth  must  be  told,  my  companion 
and  myself  need  some  amends.  Those  children  (the 
little  rascals!)  have  bespattered  us  finely  with  their 
mud  balls;  and  one  of  the  curs  has  torn  my  cloak,  which 
was  ragged  enough  already.  But  I  took  him  across  the 
muzzle  with  my  staff;  and  I  think  you  may  have  heard 
him  yelp,  even  thus  far  off." 

Philemon  was  glad  to  see  him  in  such  good  spirits; 
nor,  indeed,  would  you  have  fancied,  by  the  traveller's 
look  and  manner,  that  he  was  weary  with  a  long  day's 
journey,  besides  being  disheartened  by  rough  treatment 
at  the  end  of  it.  He  was  dressed  in  rather  an  odd  way, 
with  a  sort  of  cap  on  his  head,  the  brim  of  which  stuck 
out  over  both  ears.  Though  it  was  a  summer  evening, 
he  wore  a  cloak,  which  he  kept  wrapt  closely  about 
him,  perhaps  because  his  undergarments  were  shabby. 
Philemon  perceived,  too,  that  he  had  on  a  singular 
pair  of  shoes;  but,  as  it  was  now  growing  dusk, 
and  as  the  old  man's  eyesight  was  none  the  sharpest, 
he  could  not  precisely  tell  in  what  the  strangeness 
consisted.  One  thing,  certainly,  seemed  queer.  The 
traveller  was  so  wonderfully  light  and  active  that  it 
appeared  as  if  his  feet  sometimes  rose  from  the  ground 
of  their  own  accord,  or  could  only  be  kept  down  by 
an  effort. 

"I  used  to  be  light  footed,  in  my  youth,"  said  Phile- 


180  Myths  Every  Child  SJwuld  Know 

mon  to  the  traveller.  "But  I  always  found  my  feet 
grow  heavier  toward  nightfall." 

"There  is  nothing  like  a  good  staff  to  help  one  along," 
answered  the  stranger;  "and  I  happen  to  have  an  excel 
lent  one,  as  you  see." 

This  staff,  in  fact,  was  the  oddest-looking  staff  that 
Philemon  had  ever  beheld.  It  was  made  of  olive  wood, 
and  had  something  like  a  little  pair  of  wings  near  the 
top.  Two  snakes,  carved  in  the  wood,  were  represented 
as  twining  themselves  about  the  staff,  and  were  so  very 
skilfully  executed  that  old  Philemon  (whose  eyes,  you 
know,  were  getting  rather  dim)  almost  thought  them 
alive,  and  that  he  could  see  them  wriggling  and  twisting. 

"A  curious  piece  of  work,  sure  enough!"  said  he.  "A 
staff  with  wings  1  It  would  be  an  excellent  kind  of  stick 
for  a  little  boy  to  ride  astride  of!" 

By  this  time,  Philemon  and  his  two  guests  had  reached 
the  cottage  door. 

"Friends,"  said  the  old  man,  "sit  down  and  rest  your 
selves  here  on  this  bench.  My  good  wife  Baucis  has  gone 
to  see  what  you  can  have  for  supper.  We  are  poor 
folks;  but  you  shall  be  welcome  to  whatever  we  have  in 
the  cupboard." 

The  younger  stranger  threw  himself  carelessly  on 
the  bench,  letting  his  staff  fall  as  he  did  so.  And  here 
happened  something  rather  marvellous,  though  trifling 
enough,  too.  The  staff  seemed  to  get  up  from  the  ground 
of  its  own  accord,  and,  spreading  its  little  pair  of  wings, 
it  half  hopped,  half  flew,  and  leaned  itself  against  the 
wall  of  the  cottage.  There  it  stood  quite  still,  except 
that  the  snakes  continued  to  wriggle.  But,  in  my  private 
opinion,  old  Philemon's  eyesight  had  been  playing  him 
tricks  again. 


The  Miraculous  Pitcher  181 

Before  he  could  ask  any  questions,  the  elder  stranger 
drew  his  attention  from  the  wonderful  staff,  by  speaking 
to  him. 

"Was  there  not,"  asked  the  stranger,  in  a  remarkably 
deep  tone  of  voice,  "a  lake,  in  very  ancient  times,  cover 
ing  the  spot  where  now  stands  yonder  village  ? " 

"Not  in  my  day,  friend,"  answered  Philemon;  "and 
yet  I  am  an  old  man,  as  you  see.  There  were  always 
the  fields  and  meadows,  just  as  they  are  now,  and  the 
old  trees,  and  the  little  stream  murmuring  through  the 
midst  of  the  valley.  My  father,  nor  his  father  before 
him,  ever  saw  it  otherwise,  so  far  as  I  know;  and  doubt 
less  it  will  still  be  the  same,  when  old  Philemon  shall  be 
gone  and  forgotten!" 

"That  is  more  than  can  be  safely  foretold,"  observed 
the  stranger;  and  there  was  something  very  stern  in  his 
deep  voice.  He  shook  his  head,  too,  so  that  his  dark 
and  heavy  curls  were  shaken  with  the  movement.  "  Since 
the  inhabitants  of  yonder  village  have  forgotten  the 
affections  and  sympathies  of  their  nature,  it  were  better 
that  the  lake  should  be  rippling  over  their  dwellings 
again  1" 

The  traveller  looked  so  stern  that  Philemon  was 
really  almost  frightened ;  the  more  so,  that,  at  his  frown, 
the  twilight  seemed  suddenly  to  grow  darker,  and  that, 
when  he  shook  his  head,  there  was  a  roll  as  of  thunder 
in  the  air. 

But,  in  a  moment  afterward,  the  stranger's  face  be 
came  so  kindly  and  mild,  that  the  old  man  quite  forgot 
his  terror.  Nevertheless,  he  could  not  help  feeling  that 
this  elder  traveller  must  be  no  ordinary  personage, 
although  he  happened  now  to  be  attired  so  humbly  and 
to  be  journeying  on  foot.  Not  that  Philemon  fancied 


182  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

him  a  prince  in  disguise,  or  any  character  of  that  sort; 
but  rather  some  exceedingly  wise  man,  who  went  about 
the  world  in  this  poor  garb,  despising  wealth  and  all 
worldly  objects,  and  seeking  everywhere  to  add  a  mite 
to  his  wisdom.  This  idea  appeared  the  more  probable, 
because,  when  Philemon  raised  his  eyes  to  the  stranger's 
face,  he  seemed  to  see  more  thought  there,  in  one  look, 
than  he  could  have  studied  out  in  a  lifetime. 

While  Baucis  was  getting  the  supper,  the  travellers 
both  began  to  talk  very  sociably  with  Philemon.  The 
younger,  indeed,  was  extremely  loquacious,  and  made 
such  shrewd  and  witty  remarks,  that  the  good  old  man 
continually  burst  out  a-laughing,  and  pronounced  him 
the  merriest  fellow  whom  he  had  seen  for  many  a  day. 

"Pray,  my  young  friend,"  said  he,  as  they  grew 
familiar  together,  "what  may  I  call  your  name?" 

"Why,  I  am  very  nimble,  as  you  see,"  answered  the 
traveller.  "So,  if  you  call  me  Quicksilver,  the  name 
will  fit  tolerably  well." 

"Quicksilver?  Quicksilver?"  repeated  Philemon,  look 
ing  in  the  traveller's  face,  to  see  if  he  were  making  fun 
of  him.  "It  is  a  very  odd  name!  And  your  companion 
there?  Has  he  as  strange  a  one?" 

"You  must  ask  the  thunder  to  tell  it  you!"  replied 
Quicksilver,  putting  on  a  mysterious  look.  "No  other 
voice  is  loud  enough." 

This  remark,  whether  it  were  serious  or  in  jest,  might 
have  caused  Philemon  to  conceive  a  very  great  awe  of 
the  elder  stranger,  if,  on  venturing  to  gaze  at  him,  he  had 
not  beheld  so  much  beneficence  in  his  visage.  But, 
undoubtedly,  here  was  the  grandest  figure  that  ever  sat 
so  humbly  beside  a  cottage  door.  When  the  stranger 
conversed,  it  was  with  gravity,  and  in  such  a  way  that 


The  Miraculous  Pitcher  183 

Philemon  felt  irresistibly  moved  to  tell  him  everything 
which  he  had  most  at  heart.  This  is  always  the  feeling 
that  people  have,  when  they  meet  with  anyone  wise 
enough  to  comprehend  all  their  good  and  evil,  and  to 
despise  not  a  tittle  of  it. 

But  Philemon,  simple  and  kind-hearted  old  man  that 
he  was,  had  not  many  secrets  to  disclose.  He  talked, 
however,  quite  garrulously,  about  the  events  of  his  past 
life,  in  the  whole  course  of  which  he  had  never  been  a 
score  of  miles  from  this  very  spot.  His  wife  Baucis  and 
himself  had  dwelt  in  the  cottage  from  their  youth  upward, 
earning  their  bread  by  honest  labour,  always  poor,  but 
still  contented.  He  told  what  excellent  butter  and  cheese 
Baucis  made,  and  how  nice  were  the  vegetables  which 
he  raised  in  his  garden.  He  said,  too,  that,  because 
they  loved  one  another  so  very  much,  it  was  the  wish 
of  both  that  death  might  not  separate  them,  but  that 
they  should  die,  as  they  had  lived,  together. 

As  the  stranger  listened,  a  smile  beamed  over  his  coun 
tenance,  and  made  its  expression  as  sweet  as  it  was  grand. 

"You  are  a  good  old  man,"  said  he  to  Philemon,  "and 
you  have  a  good  old  wife  to  be  your  helpmeet.  It  is  fit 
that  your  wish  be  granted." 

And  it  seemed  to  Philemon,  just  then,  as  if  the  sunset 
clouds  threw  up  a  bright  flash  from  the  west,  and  kindled 
a  sudden  light  in  the  sky. 

Baucis  had  now  got  supper  ready,  and,  coming  to 
the  door,  began  to  make  apologies  for  the  poor  fare  which 
she  was  forced  to  set  before  her  guests. 

"Had  we  known  you  were  coming,"  said  she,  "my 
good  man  and  myself  would  have  gone  without  a  morsel, 
rather  than  you  should  lack  a  better  supper.  But  I 
took  the  most  part  of  to-day's  milk  to  make  cheese; 


184  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

and  our  last  loaf  is  already  half  eaten.  Ah  me!  I  never 
feel  the  sorrow  of  being  poor,  save  when  a  poor  traveller 
knocks  at  our  door." 

"All  will  be  very  well;  do  not  trouble  yourself,  my 
good  dame,"  replied  the  elder  stranger,  kindly.  "An 
honest,  hearty  welcome  to  a  guest  works  miracles  with 
the  fare,  and  is  capable  of  turning  the  coarsest  food  to 
nectar  and  ambrosia." 

"A  welcome  you  shall  have,"  cried  Baucis,  "and  like 
wise  a  little  honey  that  we  happen  to  have  left,  and  a 
bunch  of  purple  grapes  besides." 

"Why,  Mother  Baucis,  it  is  a  feast!"  exclaimed 
Quicksilver,  laughing,  "an  absolute  feast!  and  you 
shall  see  how  bravely  I  will  play  my  part  at  it!  I  think 
I  never  felt  hungrier  in  my  life." 

"Mercy  on  us!"  whispered  Baucis  to  her  husband. 
"If  the  young  man  has  such  a  terrible  appetite,  I  am 
afraid  there  will  not  be  half  enough  supper!" 

They  all  went  into  the  cottage. 

And,  now,  my  little  auditors,  shall  I  tell  you  something 
that  will  make  you  open  your  eyes  very  wide?  It  is 
really  one  of  the  oddest  circumstances  in  the  whole 
story.  Quicksilver's  staff,  you  recollect,  had  set  itself 
up  against  the  wall  of  the  cottage.  Well;  when  its 
master  entered  the  door,  leaving  this  wonderful  staff 
behind,  what  should  it  do  but  immediately  spread  its 
little  wings,  and  go  hopping  and  fluttering  up  the  door 
steps!  Tap,  tap,  went  the  staff,  on  the  kitchen  floor; 
nor  did  it  rest  until  it  had  stood  itself  on  end,  with  the 
greatest  gravity  and  decorum,  beside  Quicksilver's  chair. 
Old  Philemon,  however,  as  well  as  his  wife,  was  so 
taken  up  in  attending  to  their  guests,  that  no  notice  was 
given  to  what  the  staff  had  been  about. 


The  Miraculous  Pitcher  185 

As  Baucis  had  said,  there  was  but  a  scanty  supper 
for  two  hungry  travellers.  In  the  middle  of  the  table 
was  the  remnant  of  a  brown  loaf,  with  a  piece  of  cheese 
on  one  side  of  it,  and  a  dish  of  honeycomb  on  the  other. 
There  was  a  pretty  good  bunch  of  grapes  for  each  of  the 
guests.  A  moderately  sized  earthen  pitcher,  nearly 
full  of  milk,  stood  at  a  corner  of  the  board;  and  when 
Baucis  had  filled  two  bowls,  and  set  them  before  the 
strangers,  only  a  little  milk  remained  in  the  bottom  of  the 
pitcher.  Alas!  it  is  a  very  sad  business,  when  a  bountiful 
heart  finds  itself  pinched  and  squeezed  among  narrow 
circumstances.  Poor  Baucis  kept  wishing  that  she 
might  starve  for  a  week  to  come,  if  it  were  possible,  by 
so  doing,  to  provide  these  hungry  folks  a  more  plentiful 
supper. 

And,  since  the  supper  was  so  exceedingly  small,  she 
could  not  help  wishing  that  their  appetites  had  not  been 
quite  so  large.  Why,  at  their  very  first  sitting  down, 
the  travellers  both  drank  off  all  the  milk  in  their  two 
bowls,  at  a  draught. 

"A  little  more  milk,  kind  Mother  Baucis,  if  you  please," 
said  Quicksilver.  "The  day  has  been  hot,  and  I  am 
very  much  athirst." 

"Now,  my  dear  people,"  answered  Baucis,  in  great 
confusion,  "I  am  so  sorry  and  ashamed!  But  the 
truth  is,  there  is  hardly  a  drop  more  milk  in  the  pitcher. 
O  husband!  husband!  why  didn't  we  go  without  our 
supper?" 

"Why,  it  appears  to  me,"  cried  Quicksilver,  starting 
up  from  the  table  and  taking  the  pitcher  by  the  handle, 
"it  really  appears  to  me  that  matters  are  not  quite 
so  bad  as  you  represent  them.  Here  is  certainly  more 
milk  in  the  pitcher." 


1 86  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

So  saying,  and  to  the  vast  astonishment  of  Baucis, 
he  proceeded  to  fill,  not  only  his  own  bowl,  but  his 
companion's  likewise,  from  the  pitcher,  that  was  supposed 
to  be  almost  empty.  The  good  woman  could  scarcely 
believe  her  eyes.  She  had  certainly  poured  out  nearly 
all  the  milk,  and  had  peeped  in  afterward,  and  seen  the 
bottom  of  the  pitcher,  as  she  set  it  down  upon  the  table. 

"But  I  am  old,"  thought  Baucis  to  herself,  "and 
apt  to  be  forgetful.  I  suppose  I  must  have  made  a 
mistake.  At  all  events,  the  pitcher  cannot  help  being 
empty  now,  after  filling  the  bowls  twice  over." 

"What  excellent  milk!"  observed  Quicksilver,  after 
quaffing  the  contents  of  the  second  bowl.  "Excuse  me, 
my  kind  hostess,  but  I  must  really  ask  you  for  a  little 
more." 

Now  Baucis  had  seen,  as  plainly  as  she  could  see 
anything,  that  Quicksilver  had  turned  the  pitcher  upside 
down,  and  consequently  had  poured  out  every  drop 
of  milk,  in  filling  the  last  bowl.  Of  course,  there  could 
not  possibly  be  any  left.  However,  in  order  to  let  him 
know  precisely  how  the  case  was,  she  lifted  the  pitcher, 
and  made  a  gesture  as  if  pouring  milk  into  Quicksilver's 
bowl,  but  without  the  remotest  idea  that  any  milk  would 
stream  forth.  What  was  her  surprise,  therefore,  when 
such  an  abundant  cascade  fell  bubbling  into  the  bowl,  that 
it  was  immediately  filled  to  the  brim,  and  overflowed  upon 
the  table!  The  two  snakes  that  were  twisted  about 
Quicksilver's  staff  (but  neither  Baucis  nor  Philemon 
happened  to  observe  this  circumstance)  stretched  out  their 
heads,  and  began  to  lap  up  the  spilt  milk. 

And  then  what  a  delicious  fragrance  the  milk  had! 
It  seemed  as  if  Philemon's  only  cow  must  have  pastured, 
that  day,  on  the  richest  herbage  that  could  be  found 


The  Miraculous  Pitcher  187 

anywhere  in  the  world.  I  only  wish  that  each  of  you, 
my  beloved  little  souls,  could  have  a  bowl  of  such  nice 
milk,  at  supper  time! 

"And  now  a  slice  of  your  brown  loaf,  Mother  Baucis," 
said  Quicksilver,  "and  a  little  of  that  honey!" 

Baucis  cut  him  a  slice,  accordingly;  and  though  the 
loaf,  when  she  and  her  husband  ate  of  it,  had  been 
rather  too  dry  and  crusty  to  be  palatable,  it  was  now  as 
light  and  moist  as  if  but  a  few  hours  out  of  the  oven. 
Tasting  a  crumb,  which  had  fallen  on  the  table,  she 
found  it  more  delicious  than  bread  ever  was  before, 
and  could  hardly  believe  that  it  was  a  loaf  of  her  own 
kneading  and  baking.  Yet,  what  other  loaf  could  it 
possibly  be  ? 

But,  oh  the  honey!  I  may  just  as  well  let  it  alone, 
without  trying  to  describe  how  exquisitely  it  smelt  and 
looked.  Its  colour  was  that  of  the  purest  and  most 
transparent  gold;  and  it  had  the  odour  of  a  thousand 
flowers;  but  of  such  flowers  as  never  grew  in  an  earthly 
garden,  and  to  seek  which  the  bees  must  have  flown 
high  above  the  clouds.  The  wonder  is,  that,  after 
alighting  on  a  flower  bed  of  so  delicious  fragrance  and 
immortal  bloom,  they  should  have  been  content  to  fly 
down  again  to  their  hive  in  Philemon's  garden.  Never 
was  such  honey  tasted,  seen,  or  smelt.  The  perfume 
floated  around  the  kitchen,  and  made  it  so  delightful, 
that,  had  you  closed  your  eyes,  you  would  instantly 
have  forgotten  the  low  ceiling  and  smoky  walls,  and  have 
fancied  yourself  in  an  arbour,  with  celestial  honeysuckles 
creeping  over  it. 

Although  good  Mother  Baucis  was  a  simple  old 
dame,  she  could  not  but  think  that  there  was  something 
rather  out  of  the  common  way,  in  all  that  had  been 


1 88  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

going  on.  So,  after  helping  the  guests  to  bread  and 
honey,  and  laying  a  bunch  of  grapes  by  each  of  their 
plates,  she  sat  down  by  Philemon,  and  told  him  what  she 
had  seen,  in  a  whisper. 

"Did  you  ever  hear  the  like  ?"  asked  she. 

"No,  I  never  did,"  answered  Philemon,  with  a  smile. 
"And  I  rather  think,  my  dear  old  wife,  you  have  been 
walking  about  in  a  sort  of  a  dream.  If  I  had  poured 
out  the  milk,  I  should  have  seen  through  the  business 
at  once.  There  happened  to  be  a  little  more  in  the 
pitcher  than  you  thought — that  is  all." 

"Ah,  husband,"  said  Baucis,  "say  what  you  will, 
these  are  very  uncommon  people." 

"Well,  well,"  replied  Philemon,  still  smiling,  "perhaps 
they  are.  They  certainly  do  look  as  if  they  had  seen 
better  days;  and  I  am  heartily  glad  to  see  them  making 
so  comfortable  a  supper." 

Each  of  the  guests  had  now  taken  his  bunch  of  grapes 
upon  his  plate.  Baucis  (who  rubbed  her  eyes,  in  order 
to  see  the  more  clearly)  was  of  opinion  that  the  clusters 
had  grown  larger  and  richer,  and  that  each  separate 
grape  seemed  to  be  on  the  point  of  bursting  with  ripe 
juice.  It  was  entirely  a  mystery  to  her  how  such  grapes 
could  ever  have  been  produced  from  the  old  stunted  vine 
that  climbed  against  the  cottage  wall. 

"Very  admirable  grapes  these!"  observed  Quicksilver, 
as  he  swallowed  one  after  another,  without  apparently 
diminishing  his  cluster.  "Pray,  my  good  host,  whence 
did  you  gather  them?" 

"From  my  own  vine,"  answered  Philemon.  "You 
may  see  one  of  its  branches  twisting  across  the  window, 
yonder.  But  wife  and  I  never  thought  the  grapes  very 
fine  ones." 


The  Miraculous  Pitcher  189 

"I  never  tasted  better,"  said  the  guest.  "Another 
cup  of  this  delicious  milk,  if  you  please,  and  I  shall  then 
have  supped  better  than  a  prince." 

This  time,  old  Philemon  bestirred  himself,  and  took 
up  the  pitcher;  for  he  was  curious  to  discover  whether 
there  was  any  reality  in  the  marvels  which  Baucis  had 
whispered  to  him.  He  knew  that  his  good  old  wife 
was  incapable  of  falsehood,  and  that  she  was  seldom 
mistaken  in  what  she  supposed  to  be  true;  but  this 
was  so  very  singular  a  case,  that  he  wanted  to  see  into 
it  with  his  own  eyes.  On  taking  up  the  pitcher,  there 
fore,  he  slyly  peeped  into  it,  and  was  fully  satisfied 
that  it  contained  not  so  much  as  a  single  drop.  All  at 
once,  however,  he  beheld  a  little  white  fountain,  which 
gushed  up  from  the  bottom  of  the  pitcher,  and  speedily 
filled  it  to  the  brim  with  foaming  and  deliciously  fragrant 
milk.  It  was  lucky  that  Philemon,  in  his  surprise, 
did  not  drop  the  miraculous  pitcher  from  his  hand. 

"Who  are  ye,  wonder-working  strangers!"  cried  he, 
even  more  bewildered  than  his  wife  had  been. 

"Your  guests,  my  good  Philemon,  and  your  friends," 
replied  the  elder  traveller,  in  his  mild,  deep  voice,  that 
had  something  at  once  sweet  and  awe-inspiring  in  it. 
"Give  me  likewise  a  cup  of  the  milk;  and  may  your 
pitcher  never  be  empty  for  kind  Baucis  and  yourself, 
any  more  than  for  the  needy  wayfarer!" 

The  supper  being  now  over,  the  strangers  requested 
to  be  shown  to  their  place  of  repose.  The  old  people 
would  gladly  have  talked  with  them  a  little  longer,  and 
have  expressed  the  wonder  which  they  felt,  and  their 
delight  at  finding  the  poor  and  meagre  supper  prove 
so  much  better  and  more  abundant  than  they  hoped. 
But  the  eider  traveller  had  inspired  them  with  such 


I  po  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

reverence,  that  they  dared  not  ask  him  any  questions. 
And  when  Philemon  drew  Quicksilver  aside,  and  inquired 
how  under  the  sun  a  fountain  of  milk  could  have  got 
into  an  old  earthen  pitcher,  this  latter  personage 
pointed  to  his  staff. 

"There  is  the  whole  mystery  of  the  affair,"  quoth 
Quicksilver;  "and  if  you  can  make  it  out,  I'll  thank 
you  to  let  me  know.  I  can't  tell  what  to  make  of  my 
staff.  It  is  always  playing  such  odd  tricks  as  this; 
sometimes  getting  me  a  supper,  and,  quite  as  often, 
stealing  it  away.  If  I  had  any  faith  in  such  nonsense, 
I  should  say  the  stick  was  bewitched!" 

He  said  no  more,  but  looked  so  slyly  in  their  faces, 
that  they  rather  fancied  he  was  laughing  at  them.  The 
magic  staff  went  hopping  at  his  heels,  as  Quicksilver 
quitted  the  room.  When  left  alone,  the  good  old  couple 
spent  some  little  time  in  conversation  about  the  events 
of  the  evening,  and  then  lay  down  on  the  floor,  and  fell 
fast  asleep.  They  had  given  up  their  sleeping  room  to 
the  guests,  and  had  no  other  bed  for  themselves,  save 
these  planks,  which  I  wish  had  been  as  soft  as  their 
own  hearts. 

The  old  man  and  his  wife  were  stirring,  betimes,  in 
the  morning,  and  the  strangers  likewise  arose  with  the 
sun,  and  made  their  preparations  to  depart.  Philemon 
hospitably  entreated  them  to  remain  a  little  longer, 
until  Baucis  could  milk  the  cow,  and  bake  a  cake  upon 
the  hearth,  and,  perhaps,  find  them  a  few  fresh  eggs 
for  breakfast.  The  guests,  however,  seemed  to  think 
it  better  to  accomplish  a  good  part  of  their  journey 
before  the  heat  of  the  day  should  come  on.  They, 
therefore,  persisted  in  setting  out  immediately,  but 
asked  Philemon  and  Baucis  to  walk  forth  with  them 


The  Miraculous  Pitcher  191 

a  short  distance,  and  show  them  the  road  which  they 
were  to  take. 

So  they  all  four  issued  from  the  cottage,  chatting 
together  like  old  friends.  It  was  very  remarkable, 
indeed,  how  familiar  the  old  couple  insensibly  grew  with 
the  elder  traveller,  and  how  their  good  and  simple 
spirits  melted  into  his,  even  as  two  drops  of  water  would 
melt  into  the  illimitable  ocean.  And  as  for  Quicksilver, 
with  his  keen,  quick,  laughing  wits,  he  appeared  to 
discover  every  little  thought  that  but  peeped  into  their 
minds,  before  they  suspected  it  themselves.  They 
sometimes  wished,  it  is  true,  that  he  had  not  been  quite 
so  quick-witted,  and  also  that  he  would  fling  away  his 
staff,  which  looked  so  mysteriously  mischievous,  with 
the  snakes  always  writhing  about  it.  But  then,  again, 
Quicksilver  showed  himself  so  very  good  humoured 
that  they  would  have  been  rejoiced  to  keep  him  in  their 
cottage,  staff,  snakes,  and  all,  every  day,  and  the  whole 
day  long. 

"Ah  me!  Well-a-day!"  exclaimed  Philemon,  when 
they  had  walked  a  little  way  from  their  door.  "If  our 
neighbours  only  knew  what  a  blessed  thing  it  is  to  show 
hospitality  to  strangers,  they  would  tie  up  all  their 
dogs,  and  never  allow  their  children  to  fling  another 
stone." 

"It  is  a  sin  and  shame  for  them  to  behave  so — that 
it  is!"  cried  good  old  Baucis,  vehemently.  "And  I 
mean  to  go  this  very  day,  and  tell  some  of  them  what 
naughty  people  they  are!" 

"I  fear,"  remarked  Quicksilver,  slyly  smiling,  "that 
you  will  find  none  of  them  at  home." 

The  elder  traveller's  brow,  just  then,  assumed  such 
a  grave,  stern,  and  awful  grandeur,  yet  serene  withal 


192  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

that  neither  Baucis  nor  Philemon  dared  to  speak  a 
word.  They  gazed  reverently  into  his  face,  as  if  they 
had  been  gazing  at  the  sky. 

"When  men  do  not  feel  toward  the  humblest  stranger 
as  if  he  were  a  brother,"  said  the  traveller,  in  tones 
so  deep  that  they  sounded  like  those  of  an  organ,  "they 
are  unworthy  to  exist  on  earth,  which  was  created  as 
the  abode  of  a  great  human  brotherhood!" 

"And,  by  the  by,  my  dear  old  people,"  cried  Quick 
silver,  with  the  liveliest  look  of  fun  and  mischief  in 
his  eyes,  "where  is  this  same  village  that  you  talk  about? 
On  which  side  of  us  does  it  lie  ?  Methinks  I  do  not  see 
it  hereabouts." 

Philemon  and  his  wife  turned  toward  the  valley, 
where,  at  sunset,  only  the  day  before,  they  had  seen 
the  meadows,  the  houses,  the  gardens,  the  clumps  of 
trees,  the  wide,  green-margined  street,  with  children 
playing  in  it,  and  all  the  tokens  of  business,  enjoyment, 
and  prosperity.  But  what  was  their  astonishment! 
There  was  no  longer  any  appearance  of  a  village!  Even 
the  fertile  vale,  in  the  hollow  of  which  it  lay,  had  ceased 
to  have  existence.  In  its  stead,  they  beheld  the  broad, 
blue  surface  of  a  lake,  which  filled  the  great  basin  of  the 
valley  from  brim  to  brim,  and  reflected  the  surrounding 
hills  in  its  bosom  with  as  tranquil  an  image  as  if  it  had 
been  there  ever  since  the  creation  of  the  world.  For  an 
instant,  the  lake  remained  perfectly  smooth.  Then  a 
little  breeze  sprang  up,  and  caused  the  water  to  dance, 
glitter,  and  sparkle  in  the  early  sunbeams,  and  to  dash, 
with  a  pleasant  rippling  murmur,  against  the  hither 
shore. 

The  lake  seemed  so  strangely  familiar  that  the  old 
couple  were  greatly  perplexed,  and  felt  as  if  they  could 


The  Miraculous  Pitcher  193 

only  have  been  dreaming  about  a  village  having  lain 
there.  But,  the  next  moment,  they  remembered  the 
vanished  dwellings,  and  the  faces  and  characters  of 
the  inhabitants,  far  too  distinctly  for  a  dream.  The 
village  had  been  there  yesterday,  and  now  was  gone  I 

"Alas I"  cried  the  kind-hearted  old  people,  "what 
has  become  of  our  poor  neighbours?" 

"They  exist  no  longer  as  men  and  women,"  said  the 
elder  traveller,  in  his  grand  and  deep  voice,  while  a 
roll  of  thunder  seemed  to  echo  it  at  a  distance.  "There 
was  neither  use  nor  beauty  in  such  a  life  as  theirs;  for 
they  never  softened  or  sweetened  the  hard  lot  of  mortality 
by  the  exercise  of  kindly  affections  between  man  and 
man.  They  retained  no  image  of  the  better  life  in  their 
bosoms;  therefore,  the  lake,  that  was  of  old,  has  spread 
itself  forth  again,  to  reflect  the  sky!" 

"And  as  for  those  foolish  people,"  said  Quicksilver, 
with  his  mischievous  smile,  "they  are  all  transformed 
to  fishes.  There  needed  but  little  change,  for  they 
were  already  a  scaly  set  -of  rascals,  and  the  coldest- 
blooded  beings  in  existence.  So,  kind  Mother  Baucis, 
whenever  you  or  your  husband  have  an  appetite  for  a 
dish  of  broiled  trout,  he  can  throw  in  a  line,  and  pull 
out  half  a  dozen  of  your  old  neighbours!" 

"Ah,"  cried  Baucis,  shuddering,  "I  would  not,  for 
the  world,  put  one  of  them  on  the  gridiron!" 

"No,"  added  Philemon,  making  a  wry  face,  "we 
could  never  relish  them!" 

"As  for  you,  good  Philemon,"  continued  the  elder 
traveller — "and  you,  kind  Baucis — you,  with  your 
scanty  means,  have  mingled  so  much  heartfelt  hospitality 
with  your  entertainment  of  the  homeless  stranger,  that 
the  milk  became  an  inexhaustible  fount  of  nectar,  and 


194  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

the  brown  loaf  and  the  honey  were  ambrosia.  Thus,  the 
divinities  have  feasted,  at  your  board,  off  the  same  viands 
that  supply  their  banquets  on  Olympus.  You  have 
done  well,  my  dear  old  friends.  Wherefore,  request 
whatever  favour  you  have  most  at  heart,  and  it  is  granted." 

Philemon  and  Baucis  looked  at  one  another,  and 
then — I  know  not  which  of  the  two  it  was  who  spoke, 
but  that  one  uttered  the  desire  of  both  their  hearts. 

"Let  us  live  together,  while  we  live,  and  leave  the 
world  at  the  same  instant,  when  we  die!  For  we  have 
always  loved  one  another  1" 

"Be  it  so!"  replied  the  stranger,  with  majestic  kind 
ness.  "Now,  look  toward  your  cottage!" 

They  did  so.  But  what  was  their  surprise  on  behold 
ing  a  tall  edifice  of  white  marble,  with  a  wide-open  portal, 
occupying  the  spot  where  their  humble  residence  had  so 
lately  stood! 

"There  is  your  home,"  said  the  stranger,  beneficently 
smiling  on  them  both.  "Exercise  your  hospitality  in 
yonder  palace  as  freely  as  in  the  poor  hovel  to  which 
you  welcomed  us  last  evening." 

The  old  folks  fell  on  their  knees  to  thank  him;  but, 
behold!  neither  he  nor  Quicksilver  was  there. 

So  Philemon  and  Baucis  took  up  their  residence  in 
the  marble  palace,  and  spent  their  time,  with  vast  sat 
isfaction  to  themselves,  in  making  everybody  jolly  and 
comfortable  who  happened  to  pass  that  way.  The 
milk  pitcher,  I  must  not  forget  to  say,  retained  its  mar 
vellous  quality  of  being  never  empty,  when  it  was  desir 
able  to  have  it  full.  Whenever  an  honest,  good- 
humoured,  and  free-hearted  guest  took  a  draught  from 
this  pitcher,  he  invariably  found  it  the  sweetest  and 
most  invigorating  fluid  that  ever  ran  down  his  throat. 


The  Miraculous  Pitcher  195 

But,  if  a  cross  and  disagreeable  curmudgeon  happened 
to  sip,  he  was  pretty  certain  to  twist  his  visage  into  a 
hard  knot,  and  pronounce  it  a  pitcher  of  sour  milk! 

Thus  the  old  couple  lived  in  their  palace  a  great,  great 
while,  and  grew  older  and  older,  and  very  old  indeed. 
At  length,  however,  there  came  a  summer  morning 
when  Philemon  and  Baucis  failed  to  make  their  appear 
ance,  as  on  other  mornings,  with  one  hospitable  smile 
overspreading  both  their  pleasant  faces,  to  invite  the 
guests  of  over  night  to  breakfast.  The  guests  searched 
everywhere,  from  top  to  bottom  of  the  spacious  palace, 
and  all  to  no  purpose.  But,  after  a  great  deal  of  perplex 
ity,  they  espied,  in  front  of  the  portal,  two  venerable 
trees,  which  nobody  could  remember  to  have  seen  there 
the  day  before.  Yet  there  they  stood,  with  their  roots 
fastened  deep  into  the  soil,  and  a  huge  breadth  of  foliage 
overshadowing  the  whole  front  of  the  edifice.  One  was 
an  oak,  and  the  other  a  linden  tree.  Their  boughs — it 
was  strange  and  beautiful  to  see — were  intertwined 
together,  and  embraced  one  another,  so  that  each  tree 
seemed  to  live  in  the  other  tree's  bosom  much  more  than 
in  its  own. 

While  the  guests  were  marvelling  how  these  trees, 
that  must  have  required  at  least  a  century  to  grow, 
could  have  come  to  be  so  tall  and  venerable  in  a  single 
night,  a  breeze  sprang  up,  and  set  their  intermingled 
boughs  astir.  And  then  there  was  a  deep,  broad  murmur 
in  the  air,  as  if  the  two  mysterious  trees  were  speaking. 

"I  am  old  Philemon!"  murmured  the  oak. 

"I  am  old  Baucis!"  murmured  the  linden  tree. 

But,  as  the  breeze  grew  stronger,  the  trees  both  spoke 
at  once — "Philemon!  Baucis!  Baucis!  Philemon!" — as 
if  one  were  both  and  both  were  one,  and  talked  together 


196  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

in  the  depths  of  their  mutual  heart.  It  was  plain  enough 
to  perceive  that  the  good  old  couple  had  renewed  their 
age,  and  were  now  to  spend  a  quiet  and  delightful  hun 
dred  years  or  so,  Philemon  as  an  oak,  and  Baucis  as  a 
linden  tree.  And  oh,  what  a  hospitable  shade  did  they 
fling  around  them.  Whenever  a  wayfarer  paused  be 
neath  it,  he  heard  a  pleasant  whisper  of  the  leaves  above 
his  head,  and  wondered  how  the  sound  should  so  much 
resemble  words  like  these: 

"Welcome,  welcome,  dear  traveller,  welcome  1" 
And  some  kind  soul,  that  knew  what  would  have 
pleased  old  Baucis  and  old  Philemon  best,  built  a  cir 
cular  seat  around  both  their  trunks,  where,  for  a  great 
while  afterward  the  weary,  and  the  hungry,  and  the 
thirsty  used  to  repose  themselves,  and  quaff  milk  abun 
dantly  out  of  the  miraculous  pitcher. 

And  I  wish,  for  all  our  sakes,  that  we  had  the  pitcher 
here  now! 


CHAPTER 

THE  PARADISE  OF  CHILDREN 

LONG,  long  ago,  when  this  old  world  was  in  its  tender 
infancy,  there  was  a  child,  named  Epimetheus,  who  never 
had  either  father  or  mother;  and,  that  he  might  not  be 
lonely,  another  child,  fatherless  and  motherless  like  him 
self,  was  sent  from  a  far  country,  to  live  with  him,  and  be 
his  playfellow  and  helpmate.  Her  name  was  Pandora. 

The  first  thing  that  Pandora  saw,  when  she  entered 
the  cottage  where  Epimetheus  dwelt,  was  a  great  box. 
And  almost  the  first  question  which  she  put  to  him, 
after  crossing  the  threshold,  was  this: 

"Epimetheus,  what  have  you  in  that  box?" 

"My  dear  little  Pandora,"  answered  Epimetheus, 
"that  is  a  secret,  and  you  must  be  kind  enough  not  to 
ask  any  questions  about  it.  The  box  was  left  here  to 
be  kept  safely,  and  I  do  not  myself  know  what  it  con 
tains." 

"But  who  gave  it  to  you?"  asked  Pandora.  "And 
where  did  it  come  from?" 

"That  is  a  secret,  too,"  replied  Epimetheus* 

"How  provoking!"  exclaimed  Pandora,  pouting  her 
lip.  "I  wish  the  great  ugly  box  were  out  of  the  way!" 

"Oh,  come,  don't  think  of  it  any  more,"  cried  Epime 
theus.  "Let  us  run  out  of  doors,  and  have  some  nice 
play  with  the  other  children." 

It  is  thousands  of  years  since  Epimetheus  and  Pan- 
197 


198  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

dora  were  alive;  and  the  world,  nowadays,  is  a  very 
different  sort  of  thing  from  what  it  was  in  their  time. 
Then,  everybody  was  a  child.  There  needed  no  fathers 
and  mothers  to  take  care  of  the  children;  because  there 
was  no  danger,  nor  trouble  of  any  kind,  and  no  clothes 
to  be  mended,  and  there  was  always  plenty  to  eat  and 
drink.  Whenever  a  child  wanted  his  dinner,  he  found 
it  growing  on  a  tree;  and,  if  he  looked  at  the  tree  in  the 
morning,  he  could  see  the  expanding  blossom  of  that 
night's  supper;  or,  at  eventide,  he  saw  the  tender  bud  of 
to-morrow's  breakfast.  It  was  a  very  pleasant  life  indeed. 
No  labour  to  be  done,  no  tasks  to  be  studied;  nothing 
but  sports  and  dances,  and  sweet  voices  of  children  talk 
ing,  or  carolling  like  birds,  or  gushing  out  in  merry  laugh 
ter,  throughout  the  livelong  day. 

What  was  most  wonderful  of  all,  the  children  never 
quarrelled  among  themselves;  neither  had  they  any 
crying  fits;  nor,  since  time  first  began,  had  a  single 
one  of  these  little  mortals  ever  gone  apart  into  a  corner, 
and  sulked.  Oh,  what  a  good  time  was  that  to  be  alive 
in!  The  truth  is,  those  ugly,  little  winged  monsters, 
called  Troubles,  which  are  now  almost  as  numerous  as 
mosquitoes,  had  never  yet  been  seen  on  the  earth.  It 
is  probable  that  the  very  greatest  disquietude  which  a 
child  had  ever  experienced  was  Pandora's  vexation  at 
not  being  able  to  discover  the  secret  of  the  mysterious 
box. 

This  was  at  first  only  the  faint  shadow  of  a  Trouble; 
but,  every  day,  it  grew  more  and  more  substantial, 
until,  before  a  great  while,  the  cottage  of  Epimetheus 
and  Pandora  was  less  sunshiny  than  those  of  the  other 
children. 

"Whence  can  the  box  have  come?"  Pandora  con- 


The  Paradise  oj  Children  199 

tinually  kept  saying  to  herself  and  to  Epimetheus.  "And 
what  in  the  world  can  be  inside  of  it?" 

"Always  talking  about  this  box!"  said  Epimetheus, 
at  last;  for  he  had  grown  extremely  tired  of  the  subject. 
"I  wish,  dear  Pandora,  you  would  try  to  talk  of  some 
thing  else.  Come,  let  us  go  and  gather  some  ripe  figs, 
and  eat  them  under  the  trees,  for  our  supper.  And  I 
know  a  vine  that  has  the  sweetest  and  juiciest  grapes 
you  ever  tasted." 

"Always  talking  about  grapes  and  figs!"  cried  Pandora, 
pettishly. 

"Well,  then,"  said  Epimetheus,  who  was  a  very  good- 
tempered  child,  like  a  multitude  of  children  in  those 
days,  "let  us  run  out  and  have  a  merry  time  with  our 
playmates." 

"I  am  tired  of  merry  times,  and  don't  care  if  I  never 
have  any  more!"  answered  our  pettish  little  Pandora. 
"And,  besides,  I  never  do  have  any.  This  ugly  box! 
I  am  so  taken  up  with  thinking  about  it  all  the  time.  I 
insist  upon  your  telling  me  what  is  inside  of  it." 

"As  I  have  already  said,  fifty  times  over,  I  do  not 
know ! "  replied  Epimetheus,  getting  a  little  vexed.  "How, 
then,  can  I  tell  you  what  is  inside?" 

"You  might  open  it,"  said  Pandora,  looking  side 
ways  at  Epimetheus,  "and  then  we  could  see  for  our 
selves." 

"Pandora,  what  are  you  thinking  of?"  exclaimed 
Epimetheus. 

And  his  face  expressed  so  much  horror  at  the  idea 
of  looking  into  a  box,  which  had  been  confided  to  him 
on  the  condition  of  his  never  opening  it,  that  Pandora 
thought  it  best  not  to  suggest  it  any  more.  Still,  however, 
she  could  not  help  thinking  and  talking  about  the  box. 


200  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

"At  least,"  said  she,  "you  can  tell  me  how  it  came 
here." 

"It  was  left  at  the  door,"  replied  Epimetheus,  "just 
before  you  came,  by  a  person  who  looked  very  smiling 
and  intelligent,  and  who  could  hardly  forbear  laughing 
as  he  put  it  down.  He  was  dressed  in  an  odd  kind  of  a 
cloak,  and  had  on  a  cap  that  seemed  to  be  made  partly 
of  feathers,  so  that  it  looked  almost  as  if  it  had  wings." 

"What  sort  of  a  staff  had  he?"  asked  Pandora. 

"Oh,  the  most  curious  staff  you  ever  saw!"  cried 
Epimetheus.  "It  was  like  two  serpents  twisting  around 
a  stick,  and  was  carved  so  naturally  that  I,  at  first,  thought 
the  serpents  were  alive." 

"I  know  him,"  said  Pandora,  thoughtfully.  "No 
body  else  has  such  a  staff.  It  was  Quicksilver;  and 
he  brought  me  hither,  as  well  as  the  box.  No  doubt 
he  intended  it  for  me;  and,  most  probably,  it  contains 
pretty  dresses  for  me  to  wear,  or  toys  for  you  and  me 
to  play  with,  or  something  very  nice  for  us  both  to  eat!" 

"Perhaps  so,"  answered  Epimetheus,  turning  away. 
"But  until  Quicksilver  comes  back  and  tells  us  so,  we 
have  neither  of  us  any  right  to  lift  the  lid  of  the  box." 

"What  a  dull  boy  he  is!"  muttered  Pandora,  as 
Epimetheus  left  the  cottage.  "I  do  wish  he  had  a 
little  more  enterprise  I" 

For  the  first  time  since  her  arrival,  Epimetheus  had 
gone  out  without  asking  Pandora  to  accompany  him. 
He  went  to  gather  figs  and  grapes  by  himself,  or  to 
seek  whatever  amusement  he  could  find,  in  other  society 
than  his  little  playfellow's.  He  was  tired  to  death 
of  hearing  about  the  box,  and  heartily  wished  that 
Quicksilver,  or  whatever  was  the  messenger's  name, 
had  left  it  at  some  other  child's  door,  where  Pandora 


The  Paradise  of  Children  201 

would  never  have  set  eyes  on  it.  So  perseveringly  as 
did  she  babble  about  this  one  thing!  The  box,  the 
box,  and  nothing  but  the  box!  It  seemed  as  if  the  box 
were  bewitched,  and  as  if  the  cottage  were  not  big  enough 
to  hold  it,  without  Pandora's  continually  stumbling  over 
it,  and  making  Epimetheus  stumble  over  it  likewise,  and 
bruising  all  four  of  their  shins. 

Well,  it  was  really  hard  that  poor  Epimetheus  should 
have  a  box  in  his  ears  from  morning  till  night;  especially 
as  the  little  people  of  the  earth  were  so  unaccustomed 
to  vexations,  in  those  happy  days,  that  they  knew  not 
how  to  deal  with  them.  Thus,  a  small  vexation  made 
as  much  disturbance  then  as  a  far  bigger  one  would  in 
our  own  times. 

After  Epimetheus  was  gone,  Pandora  stood  gazing 
at  the  box.  She  had  called  it  ugly,  above  a  hundred 
times;  but,  in  spite  of  all  that  she  had  said  against  it, 
it  was  positively  a  very  handsome  article  of  furniture, 
and  would  have  been  quite  an  ornament  to  any  room 
in  which  it  should  be  placed.  It  was  made  of  a  beau 
tiful  kind  of  wood,  with  dark  and  rich  veins  spreading 
over  its  surface,  which  was  so  highly  polished  that  little 
Pandora  could  see  her  face  in  it.  As  the  child  had  no 
other  looking  glass,  it  is  odd  that  she  did  not  value  the 
box,  merely  on  this  account. 

The  edges  and  corners  of  the  box  were  carved  with 
most  wonderful  skill.  Around  the  margin  there  were 
figures  of  graceful  men  and  women,  and  the  prettiest 
children  ever  seen,  reclining  or  sporting  amid  a  pro 
fusion  of  flowers  and  foliage;  and  these  various  objects 
were  so  exquisitely  represented,  and  were  wrought 
together  in  such  harmony,  that  flowers,  foliage,  and 
human  beings  seemed  to  combine  into  a  wreath  of  mingled 


202  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

beauty.  But  here  and  there,  peeping  forth  from  behind 
the  carved  foliage,  Pandora  once  or  twice  fancied  that 
she  saw  a  face  not  so  lovely,  or  something  or  other  that 
was  disagreeable,  and  which  stole  the  beauty  out  of  all 
the  rest.  Nevertheless,  on  looking  more  closely,  and 
touching  the  spot  with  her  finger,  she  could  discover 
nothing  of  the  kind.  Some  face  that  was  really  beautiful 
had  been  made  to  look  ugly  by  her  catching  a  sideway 
glimpse  at  it. 

The  most  beautiful  face  of  all  was  done  in  what  is 
called  high  relief,  in  the  centre  of  the  lid.  There  was 
nothing  else,  save  the  dark,  smooth  richness  of  the 
polished  wood,  and  this  one  face  in  the  centre,  with  a 
garland  of  flowers  about  its  brow.  Pandora  had  looked 
at  this  face  a  great  many  times,  and  imagined  that  the 
mouth  could  smile  if  it  liked,  or  be  grave  when  it  chose, 
the  same  as  any  living  mouth.  The  features,  indeed, 
all  wore  a  very  lively  and  rather  mischievous  expression, 
which  looked  almost  as  if  it  needs  must  burst  out  of 
the  carved  lips,  and  utter  itself  in  words. 

Had  the  mouth  spoken,  it  would  probably  have  been 
something  like  this: 

"Do  not  be  afraid,  Pandora!  What  harm  can  there 
be  in  opening  the  box?  Never  mind  that  poor,  simple 
Epimetheus!  You  are  wiser  than  he,  and  have  ten 
times  as  much  spirit.  Open  the  box,  and  see  if  you  do 
not  find  something  very  pretty!" 

The  box,  I  had  almost  forgotten  to  say,  was  fastened; 
not  by  a  lock,  nor  by  any  other  such  contrivance,  but 
by  a  very  intricate  knot  of  gold  cord.  There  appeared 
to  be  no  end  to  this  knot,  and  no  beginning.  Never 
was  a  knot  so  cunningly  twisted,  nor  with  so  many  ins 
and  outs,  which  roguishly  defied  the  skilfullest  fingers 


The  Paradise  of  Children  203 

to  disentangle  them.  And  yet,  by  the  very  difficulty 
that  there  was  in  it,  Pandora  was  the  more  tempted  to 
examine  the  knot,  and  just  see  how  it  was  made.  Two 
or  three  times,  already,  she  had  stooped  over  the  box, 
and  taken  the  knot  between  her  thumb  and  forefinger, 
but  without  positively  trying  to  undo  it. 

"I  really  believe,"  said  she  to  herself,  "that  I  begin 
to  see  how  it  was  done.  Nay,  perhaps  I  could  tie  it 
up  again,  after  undoing  it.  There  would  be  no  harm 
in  that,  surely.  Even  Epimetheus  would  not  blame 
me  for  that.  I  need  not  open  the  box,  and  should  not, 
of  course,  without  the  foolish  boy's  consent,  even  if  the 
knot  were  untied." 

It  might  have  been  better  for  Pandora  if  she  had 
had  a  little  work  to  do,  or  anything  to  employ  her  mind 
upon,  so  as  not  to  be  so  constantly  thinking  of  this  one 
subject.  But  children  led  so  easy  a  life,  before  any 
Troubles  came  into'  the  world,  that  they  had  really  a 
great  deal  too  much  leisure.  They  could  not  be  forever 
playing  at  hide-and-seek  among  the  flower  shrubs,  or 
at  blind-man's-buff  with  garlands  over  their  eyes,  or  at 
whatever  other  games  had  been  found  out,  while  Mother 
Earth  was  in  her  babyhood.  When  life  is  all  sport,  toil 
is  the  real  play.  There  was  absolutely  nothing  to  do. 
A  little  sweeping  and  dusting  about  the  cottage,  I  sup 
pose,  and  the  gathering  of  fresh  flowers  (which  were  only 
too  abundant  everywhere),  and  arranging  them  in  vases 
— and  poor  little  Pandora's  day's  work  was  over.  And 
then,  for  the  rest  of  the  day,  there  was  the  box! 

After  all,  I  am  not  quite  sure  that  the  box  was  not 
a  blessing  to  her  in  its  way.  It  supplied  her  with  such 
a  variety  of  ideas  to  think  of,  and  to  talk  about,  when 
ever  she  had  anybody  to  listen!  When  she  was  in  good 


204  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

humour,  she  could  admire  the  bright  polish  of  its  sides, 
and  the  rich  border  of  beautiful  faces  and  foliage  that 
ran  all  around  it.  Or,  if  she  chanced  to  be  ill-tempered, 
she  could  give  it  a  push,  or  kick  it  with  her  naughty 
little  foot.  And  many  a  kick  did  the  box — (but  it  was 
a  mischievous  box,  as  we  shall  see,  and  deserved  all  it 
got) — many  a  kick  did  it  receive.  But,  certain  it  is, 
if  it  had  not  been  for  the  box,  our  active-minded  little 
Pandora  would  not  have  known  half  so  well  how  to  spend 
her  time  as  she  now  did. 

For  it  was  really  an  endless  employment  to  guess 
what  was  inside.  What  could  it  be,  indeed  ?  Just 
imagine,  my  little  hearers,  how  busy  your  wits  would 
be,  if  there  were  a  great  box  in  the  house,  which,  as  you 
might  have  reason  to  suppose,  contained  something  new 
and  pretty  for  your  Christmas  or  New  Year's  gifts.  Do 
you  think  that  you  should  be  less  curious  than  Pandora  ? 
If  you  were  left  alone  with  the  box,  might  you  not  feel 
a  little  tempted  to  lift  the  lid?  But  you  would  not  do 
it.  Oh,  fie!  No,  no!  Only,  if  you  thought  there  were 
toys  in  it,  it  would  be  so  very  hard  to  let  slip  an  oppor 
tunity  of  taking  just  one  peep!  I  know  not  whether 
Pandora  expected  any  toys;  for  none  had  yet  begun  to 
be  made,  probably,  in  those  days,  when  the  world  itself 
was  one  great  plaything  for  the  children  that  dwelt 
upon  it.  But  Pandora  was  convinced  that  there  was 
something  very  beautiful  and  valuable  in  the  box;  and 
therefore  she  felt  just  as  anxious  to  take  a  peep  as  any 
of  these  little  girls,  here  around  me,  would  have  felt. 
And,  possibly,  a  little  more  so;  but  of  that  I  am  not 
quite  so  certain. 

On  this  particular  day,  however,  which  we  have  so 
long  been  talking  about,  her  curiosity  grew  so  much 


The  Paradise  o]  Children  205 

greater  than  it  usually  was,  that,  at  last,  she  approached 
the  box.  She  was  more  than  half  determined  to  open  it, 
if  she  could.  Ah,  naughty  Pandora! 

First,  however,  she  tried  to  lift  it.  It  was  heavy;  quite 
too  heavy  for  the  slender  strength  of  a  child  like  Pandora. 
She  raised  one  end  of  the  box  a  few  inches  from  the 
floor,  and  let  it  fall  again,  with  a  pretty  loud  thump. 
A  moment  afterward,  she  almost  fancied  that  she  heard 
something  stir  inside  of  the  box.  She  applied  her  ear  as 
closely  as  possible,  and  listened.  Positively,  there  did 
seem  to  be  a  kind  of  stifled  murmur  within!  Or  was  it 
merely  the  singing  in  Pandora's  ears?  Or  could  it  be 
the  beating  of  her  heart?  The  child  could  not  quite 
satisfy  herself  whether  she  had  heard  anything  or  no. 
But,  at  all  events,  her  curiosity  was  stronger  than  ever. 

As  she  drew  back  her  head,  her  eyes  fell  upon  the 
knot  of  gold  cord. 

"It  must  have  been  a  very  ingenious  person  who 
tied  this  knot,"  said  Pandora  to  herself.  "But  I  think 
I  could  untie  it  nevertheless.  I  am  resolved,  at  least, 
to  find  the  two  ends  of  the  cord." 

So  she  took  the  golden  knot  in  her  fingers,  and  pried 
into  its  intricacies  as  sharply  as  she  could.  Almost 
without  intending  it,  or  quite  knowing  what  she  was 
about,  she  was  soon  busily  engaged  in  attempting  to  undo 
it.  Meanwhile,  the  bright  sunshine  came  through  the 
open  window;  as  did  likewise  the  merry  voices  of  the 
children,  playing  at  a  distance,  and  perhaps  the  voice 
of  Epimetheus  among  them.  Pandora  stopped  to  listen. 
What  a  beautiful  day  it  was!  Would  it  not  be  wiser  if 
she  were  to  let  the  troublesome  knot  alone,  and  think  no 
more  about  the  box,  but  run  and  join  her  little  playfeUow 
and  be  happy? 


206  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

All  this  time,  however,  her  fingers  were  half  uncon 
sciously  busy  with  the  knot;  and  happening  to  glance  at 
the  flower-wreathed  face  on  the  lid  of  the  enchanted  box, 
she  seemed  to  perceive  it  slyly  grinning  at  her. 

"That  face  looks  very  mischievous,"  thought  Pandora. 
"I  wonder  whether  it  smiles  because  I  am  doing  wrong! 
I  have  the  greatest  mind  in  the  world  to  run  away!" 

But  just  then,  by  the  merest  accident,  she  gave  the 
knot  a  kind  of  twist,  which  produced  a  wonderful  result. 
The  gold  cord  untwined  itself,  as  if  by  magic,  and  left  the 
box  without  a  fastening. 

"This  is  the  strangest  thing  I  ever  knew!"  said  Pandora. 
"What  will  Epimetheus  say?  And  how  can  I  possibly 
tie  it  up  again?" 

She  made  one  or  two  attempts  to  restore  the  knot, 
but  soon  found  it  quite  beyond  her  skill.  It  had  disen 
tangled  itself  so  suddenly  that  she  could  not  in  the 
least  remember  how  the  strings  had  been  doubled  into 
one  another;  and  when  she  tried  to  recollect  the  shape 
and  appearance  of  the  knot,  it  seemed  to  have  gone 
entirely  out  of  her  mind.  Nothing  was  to  be  done, 
therefore,  but  to  let  the  box  remain  as  it  was  until  Epime 
theus  should  come  in. 

"But,"  said  Pandora,  "when  he  finds  the  knot  untied, 
he  will  know  that  I  have  done  it.  How  shall  I  make  him 
believe  that  I  have  not  looked  into  the  box?" 

And  then  the  thought  came  into  her  naughty  little 
heart,  that,  since  she  would  be  suspected  of  having 
looked  into  the  box,  she  might  just  as  well  do  so  at 
once.  Oh,  very  naughty  and  very  foolish  Pandora! 
You  should  have  thought  only  of  doing  what  was  right, 
and  of  leaving  undone  what  was  wrong,  and  not  of 
what  your  playfellow  Epimetheus  would  have  said  or 


The  Paradise  oj  Children  207 

believed.  And  so  perhaps  she  might,  if  the  enchanted 
face  on  the  lid  of  the  box  had  not  looked  so  bewitchingly 
persuasive  at  her,  and  if  she  had  not  seemed  to  hear, 
more  distinctly,  than  before,  the  murmur  of  small  voices 
within.  She  could  not  tell  whether  it  was  fancy  or  no; 
but  there  was  quite  a  little  tumult  of  whispers  in  her 
ear — or  else  it  was  her  curiosity  that  whispered: 

"Let  us  out,  dear  Pandora — pray  let  us  out!  We 
will  be  such  nice  pretty  playfellows  for  you!  Only 
let  us  out!" 

"What  can  it  be?"  thought  Pandora.  "Is  there 
something  alive  in  the  box?  Well — yes! — I  am  resolved 
to  take  just  one  peep!  Only  one  peep;  and  then  the 
lid  shall  be  shut  down  as  safely  as  ever!  There  cannot 
possibly  be  any  harm  in  just  one  little  peep!" 

But  it  is  now  time  for  us  to  see  what  Epimetheus 
was  doing. 

This  was  the  first  time,  since  his  little  playmate  had 
come  to  dwell  with  him,  that  he  had  attempted  to  enjoy 
any  pleasure  in  which  she  did  not  partake.  But  nothing 
went  right;  nor  was  he  nearly  so  happy  as  on  other  days. 
He  could  not  find  a  sweet  grape  or  a  ripe  fig  (if  Epimetheus 
had  a  fault,  it  was  a  little  too  much  fondness  for  figs) ;  or, 
if  ripe  at  all,  they  were  overripe,  and  so  sweet  as  to  be 
cloying.  There  was  no  mirth  in  his  heart,  such  as 
usually  made  his  voice  gush  out,  of  its  own  accord,  and 
swell  the  merriment  of  his  companions.  In  short,  he 
grew  so  uneasy  and  discontented,  that  the  other  children 
could  not  imagine  what  was  the  matter  with  Epimetheus. 
Neither  did  he  himself  know  what  ailed  him,  any  better 
than  they  did.  For  you  must  recollect  that,  at  the  time  we 
are  speaking  of,  it  was  everybody's  nature,  and  constant 
habit,  to  be  happy.  The  world  had  not  yet  learned  to  be 


208  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

otherwise.  Not  a  single  soul  or  body,  since  these  children 
were  first  sent  to  enjoy  themselves  on  the  beautiful  earth, 
had  ever  been  sick  or  out  of  sorts. 

At  length,  discovering  that,  somehow  or  other,  he 
put  a  stop  to  all  the  play,  Epimetheus  judged  it  best 
to  go  back  to  Pandora,  who  was  in  a  humour  better 
suited  to  his  own.  But,  with  a  hope  of  giving  her 
pleasure,  he  gathered  some  flowers,  and  made  them 
into  a  wreath,  which  he  meant  to  put  upon  her  head. 
The  flowers  were  very  lovely — roses,  and  lilies,  and 
orange  blossoms,  and  a  great  many  more,  which  left  a 
trail  of  fragrance  behind,  as  Epimetheus  carried  them 
along;  and  the  wreath  was  put  together  with  as  much 
skill  as  could  reasonably  be  expected  of  a  boy.  The 
fingers  of  little  girls,  it  has  always  appeared  to  me,  are 
the  fittest  to  twine  flower  wreaths ;  but  boys  could  do  it, 
in  those  days,  rather  better  than  they  can  now. 

And  here  I  must  mention  that  a  great  black  cloud 
had  been  gathering  in  the  sky,  for  some  time  past,  although 
it  had  not  yet  overspread  the  sun.  But,  just  as  Epime 
theus  reached  the  cottage  door,  this  cloud  began  to 
intercept  the  sunshine,  and  thus  to  make  a  sudden  and 
sad  obscurity. 

He  entered  softly,  for  he  meant,  if  possible,  to  steal 
behind  Pandora,  and  fling  the  wreath  of  flowers  ovev 
her  head,  before  she  should  be  aware  of  his  approach 
But,  as  it  happened,  there  was  no  need  of  his  treading 
so  very  lightly.  He  might  have  trod  as  heavily  as  he 
pleased — as  heavily  as  a  grown  man — as  heavily,  I  was 
going  to  say,  as  an  elephant — without  much  probability 
of  Pandora's  hearing  his  footsteps.  She  was  too  intent 
upon  her  purpose.  At  the  moment  of  his  entering  the 
cottage,  the  naughty  child  had  put  her  hand  to  the  lid,  and 


The  Paradise  of  Children  209 

was  on  the  point  of  opening  the  mysterious  box.  Epime- 
theus  beheld  her.  If  he  had  cried  out,  Pandora  woulc} 
probably  have  withdrawn  her  hand,  and  the  fatal  mysterx 
of  the  box  might  never  have  been  known. 

But  Epimetheus  himself,  although  he  said  very  little 
about  it,  had  his  own  share  of  curiosity  to  know  what  was 
inside.  Perceiving  that  Pandora  was  resolved  to  find  out 
the  secret,  he  determined  that  his  playfellow  should  not  be 
the  only  wise  person  in  the  cottage.  And  if  there  were 
anything  pretty  or  valuable  in  the  box,  he  meant  to  take 
half  of  it  to  himself.  Thus,  after  all  his  sage  speeches  to 
Pandora  about  restraining  her  curiosity,  Epimetheus 
turned  out  to  be  quite  as  foolish,  and  nearly  as  much  in 
fault  as  she.  So,  whenever  we  blame  Pandora  for  what 
happened,  we  must  not  forget  to  shake  our  heads  at 
Epimetheus  likewise. 

As  Pandora  raised  the  lid,  the  cottage  grew  very  dark 
and  dismal;  for  the  black  cloud  had  now  swept  quite  over 
the  sun,  and  seemed  to  have  buried  it  alive.  There  had 
for  a  little  while  past  been  a  low  growling  and  muttering, 
which  all  at  once  broke  into  a  heavy  peal  of  thunder. 
But  Pandora,  heeding  nothing  of  all  this,  lifted  the  lid 
nearly  upright,  and  looked  inside.  It  seemed  as  if  a 
sudden  swarm  of  winged  creatures  brushed  past  her, 
taking  flight  out  of  the  box,  while,  at  the  same  instant, 
she  heard  the  voice  of  Epimetheus,  with  a  lamentable 
tone,  as  if  he  were  in  pam. 

"Oh,  I  am  stung!"  cried  he.  "I  am  stung!  Naughty 
Pandora!  why  have  you  opened  this  wicked  box?" 

Pandora  let  fall  the  lid,  and,  starting  up,  looked 
about  her,  to  see  what  had  befallen  Epimetheus.  The 
thunder  cloud  had  so  darkened  the  room  that  she  could 
not  very  clearly  discern  what  was  in  it.  But  she  heard 


2io  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

a  disagreeable  buzzing,  as  if  a  great  many  huge  flies, 
or  gigantic  mosquitoes,  or  those  insects  which  we  call 
dor  bugs,  and  pinching  dogs,  were  darting  about.  And, 
as  her  eyes  grew  more  accustomed  to  the  imperfect 
light,  she  saw  a  crowd  of  ugly  little  shapes,  with  bats' 
wings,  looking  abominably  spiteful,  and  armed  with 
terribly  long  stings  in  their  tails.  It  was  one  of  these 
that  had  stung  Epimetheus.  Nor  was  it  a  great  while 
before  Pandora  herself  began  to  scream,  in  no  less 
pain  and  affright  than  her  playfellow,  and  making  a 
vast  deal  more  hubbub  about  it.  An  odious  little 
monster  had  settled  on  her  forehead,  and  would  have 
stung  her  I  know  not  how  deeply,  if  Epimetheus  had 
not  run  and  brushed  it  away. 

Now,  if  you  wish  to  know  what  these  ugly  things 
might  be,  which  had  made  their  escape  out  of  the  box, 
I  must  tell  you  that  they  were  the  whole  family  of  earthly 
Troubles.  There  were  evil  Passions;  there  were  a  great 
many  species  of  Cares;  there  were  more  than  a  hundred 
and  fifty  Sorrows;  there  were  Diseases,  in  a  vast  number 
of  miserable  and  painful  shapes;  there  were  more  kinds 
of  Naughtiness  than  it  would  be  of  any  use  to  talk  about. 
In  short,  everything  that  has  since  afflicted  the  souls 
and  bodies  of  mankind  had  been  shut  up  in  the  mysterious 
box,  and  given  to  Epimetheus  and  Pandora  to  be  kept 
safely,  in  order  that  the  happy  children  of  the  world  might 
never  be  molested  by  them.  Had  they  been  faithful 
to  their  trust,  all  would  have  gone  well.  No  grown  person 
would  ever  have  been  sad,  nor  any  child  have  had  cause 
to  shed  a  single  tear,  from  that  hour  until  this  moment. 

But — and  you  may  see  by  this  how  a  wrong  act  of 
any  one  mortal  is  a  calamity  to  the  whole  world — by 
Pandora's  lifting  the  lid  of  that  miserable  box,  and  by 


The  Paradise  oj  Children  211 

the  fault  of  Epimetheus,  too,  in  not  preventing  her, 
these  Troubles  have  obtained  a  foothold  among  us,  and 
do  not  seem  very  likely  to  be  driven  away  in  a  hurry. 
For  it  was  impossible,  as  you  will  easily  guess,  that  the 
two  children  should  keep  the  ugly  swarms  in  their  own 
little  cottage.  On  the  contrary,  the  first  thing  that  they 
did  was  to  fling  open  the  doors  and  windows,  in  hopes 
of  getting  rid  of  them;  and,  sure  enough,  away  flew  the 
winged  Troubles  all  abroad,  and  so  pestered  and  tor 
mented  the  small  people,  everywhere  about,  that  none 
of  them  so  much  as  smiled  for  many  days  afterward. 
And,  what  was  very  singular,  all  the  flowers  and  dewy 
blossoms  on  earth  not  one  of  wrhich  had  hitherto  faded, 
now  began  to  droop  and  shed  their  leaves,  after  a  day  or 
two.  The  children,  moreover,  who  before  seemed 
immortal  in  their  childhood,  now  grew  older,  day  by  day, 
and  came  soon  to  be  youths  and  maidens,  and  men  and 
women  by  and  by,  and  aged  people,  before  they  dreamed 
of  such  a  thing. 

Meanwhile,  the  naughty  Pandora,  and  hardly  less 
naughty  Epimetheus,  remained  in  their  cottage.  Both 
of  them  had  been  grievously  stung,  and  were  in  a  good 
deal  of  pain,  which  seemed  the  more  intolerable  to 
them,  because  it  was  the  very  first  pain  that  had  ever 
been  felt  since  the  world  began.  Of  course,  they  were 
entirely  unaccustomed  to  it,  and  could  have  no  idea 
what  it  meant.  Besides  all  this,  they  were  in  exceedingly 
bad  humour,  both  with  themselves  and  with  one  another. 
In  order  to  indulge  it  to  the  utmost,  Epimetheus  sat  down 
sullenly  in  a  corner  with  his  back  toward  Pandora;  while 
Pandora  flung  herself  upon  the  floor  and  rested  her  head 
on  the  fatal  and  abominable  box.  She  was  crying 
bitterly,  and  sobbing  as  if  her  heart  would  break. 


212  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

Suddenly  there  was  a  gentle  little  tap  on  the  inside  of 
the  lid. 

"What  can  that  be?"  cried  Pandora,  lifting  her  head. 

But  either  Epimetheus  had  not  heard  the  tap,  or 
was  too  much  out  of  humour  to  notice  it.  At  any  rate, 
he  made  no  answer. 

"You  are  very  unkind,"  said  Pandora,  sobbing 
anew,  "not  to  speak  to  me!" 

Again  the  tap!  It  sounded  like  the  tiny  knuckles 
of  a  fairy's  hand,  knocking  lightly  and  playfully  on  the 
inside  of  the  box. 

"Who  are  you?"  asked  Pandora,  with  a  little  of  her 
former  curiosity.  "Who  are  you,  inside  of  this  naughty 
box?" 

A  sweet  little  voice  spoke  from  within — 

"Only  lift  the  lid,  and  you  shall  see." 

"No,  no,"  answered  Pandora,  again  beginning  to 
sob,  "I  have  had  enough  of  lifting  the  lid!  You  are 
inside  of  the  box,  naughty  creature,  and  there  you  shall 
stay!  There  are  plenty  of  your  ugly  brothers  and 
sisters  already  flying  about  the  world.  You  need  never 
think  that  I  shall  be  so  foolish  as  to  let  you  cratl" 

She  looked  toward  Epimetheus,  as  she  spoke,  perhaps 
expecting  that  he  would  commend  her  for  her  wisdom. 
But  the  sullen  boy  only  muttered  that  she  was  wise  a 
little  too  late. 

"Ah,"  said  the  sweet  little  voice  again,  "you  had 
much  better  let  me  out.  I  am  not  like  those  naughty 
creatures  that  have  stings  in  their  tails.  They  are  no 
brothers  and  sisters  of  mine,  as  you  would  see  at  once, 
if  you  were  only  to  get  a  glimpse  of  me.  Come,  come, 
my  pretty  Pandora!  I  am  sure  you  will  let  me  out!" 

And,  indeed,  there  was  a  kind  of  cheerful  witchery 


The  Paradise  of  Children  213 

in  the  tone,  that  made  it  almost  impossible  to  refuse 
anything  which  this  little  voice  asked.  Pandora's  heart 
had  insensibly  grown  lighter,  at  every  word  that  came 
from  within  the  box.  Epimetheus,  too,  though  still 
in  the  corner,  had  turned  half  round,  and  seemed  to  be 
in  rather  better  spirits  than  before. 

"My  dear  Epimetheus,"  cried  Pandora,  "have  you 
heard  this  little  voice?" 

"Yes,  to  be  sure  I  have,"  answered  he,  but  in  no  very 
good  humour  as  yet.  "And  what  of  it?" 

"Shall  I  lift  the  lid  again?"  asked  Pandora. 

"Just  as  you  please,"  said  Epimetheus.  "You  have 
done  so  much  mischief  already,  that  perhaps  you  may 
as  well  do  a  little  more.  One  other  Trouble,  in  such 
a  swarm  as  you  have  set  adrift  about  the  world,  can  make 
no  very  great  difference." 

"You  might  speak  a  little  more  kindly!"  murmured 
Pandora,  wiping  her  eyes. 

"Ah,  naughty  boy!"  cried  the  little  voice  within 
the  box,  in  an  arch  and  laughing  tone.  "He  knows 
he  is  longing  to  see  me.  Come,  my  dear  Pandora, 
lift  up  the  lid.  I  am  in  a  great  hurry  to  comfort  you. 
Only  let  me  have  some  fresh  air,  and  you  shall  soon 
see  that  matters  are  not  quite  so  dismal  as  you  think 
them!" 

"Epimetheus,"  exclaimed  Pandora,  "come  what 
may,  I  am  resolved  to  open  the  box!" 

"And,  as  the  lid  seems  very  heavy,"  cried  Epimetheus, 
running  across  the  room,  "I  will  help  you!" 

So,  with  one  consent,  the  two  children  again  lifted  the 
lid.  Out  flew  a  sunny  and  smiling  little  personage,  and 
hovered  about  the  room,  throwing  a  light  wherever  she 
went.  Have  you  never  made  the  sunshine  dance  into 


214  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

dark  corners,  by  reflecting  it  from  a  bit  of  looking 
glass?  Well,  so  looked  the  winged  cheerfulness  of  this 
fairy -like  stranger,  amid  the  gloom  of  the  cottage.  She 
flew  to  Epimetheus,  and  laid  the  least  touch  of  her 
finger  on  the  inflamed  spot  where  the  Trouble  had  stung 
him,  and  immediately  the  anguish  of  it  was  gone.  Then 
she  kissed  Pandora  on  the  forehead,  and  her  hurt  was 
cured  likewise. 

After  performing  these  good  offices,  the  bright  stranger 
fluttered  sportively  over  the  children's  heads,  and 
looked  so  sweetly  at  them,  that  they  both  began  to  think 
it  not  so  very  much  amiss  to  have  opened  the  box,  since, 
otherwise,  their  cheery  guest  must  have  been  kept  a 
prisoner  among  those  naughty  imps  with  stings  in  their 
tails. 

"Pray,  who  are  you,  beautiful  creature?"  inquired 
Pandora. 

"I  am  to  be  called  Hope!"  answered  the  sunshiny 
figure.  "And  because  I  am  such  a  cheery  little  body, 
I  was  packed  into  the  box,  to  make  amends  to  the 
human  race  for  that  swarm  of  ugly  Troubles,  which  was 
destined  to  be  let  loose  among  them.  Never  fear!  we 
shall  do  pretty  well  in  spite  of  them  all." 

"Your  wings  are  coloured  like  the  rainbow!"  ex 
claimed  Pandora.  "How  very  beautiful!" 

"Yes,  they  are  like  the  rainbow,"  said  Hope,  "because, 
glad  as  my  nature  is,  I  am  partly  made  of  tears  as  well  as 
smiles." 

"And  will  you  stay  with  us,"  asked  Epimetheus, 
"forever  and  ever?" 

"As  long  as  you  need  me,"  said  Hope,  with  her  pleasant 
smile — "and  that  will  be  as  long  as  you  live  in  the  world — 
I  promise  never  to  desert  you.  There  may  come  times 


The  Paradise  of  Children  215 

and  seasons,  now  and  then,  when  you  will  think  that  I 
have  utterly  vanished.  But  again,  and  again,  and  again, 
when  perhaps  you  least  dream  of  it,  you  shall  see  the 
glimmer  of  my  wings  on  the  ceiling  of  your  cottage. 
Yes,  my  dear  children,  and  I  know  something  very  good 
and  beautiful  that  is  to  be  given  you  hereafter  1" 

"Oh  tell  us,"  they  exclaimed— " tell  us  what  it  is!" 

"Do  not  ask  me,"  replied  Hope,  putting  her  finger 
on  her  rosy  mouth.  "But  do  not  despair,  even  if  it 
should  never  happen  while  you  live  on  this  earth.  Trust 
in  my  promise,  for  it  is  true." 

"We  do  trust  you!"  cried  Epimetheus  and  Pandora, 
both  in  one  breath. 

And  so  they  did;  and  not  only  they,  but  so  has  every 
body  trusted  Hope,  that  has  since  been  alive.  And 
to  tell  you  the  truth,  I  cannot  help  being  glad — (though, 
to  be  sure,  it  was  an  uncommonly  naugaty  thing  for  her 
to  do) — but  I  cannot  help  being  glad  that  our  foolish 
Pandora  peeped  into  the  box.  No  doubt — no  doubt — the 
Troubles  are  still  flying  about  the  world,  and  have  in 
creased  in  multitude,  rather  than  lessened,  and  are  a 
very  ugly  set  of  imps,  and  carry  most  venomous  stings 
in  their  tails.  I  have  felt  them  already,  and  expect  to 
feel  them  more,  as  I  grow  older.  But  then  that  lovely 
and  lightsome  little  figure  of  Hope!  What  in  the  world 
could  we  do  without  her?  Hope  spiritualises  the  earth; 
Hope  makes  it  always  new;  and,  even  in  the  earth's  best 
and  brightest  aspect,  Hope  shows  it  to  be  only  the  shadow 
of  an  infinite  bliss  hereafter! 


CHAPTER  IX 

THE  CYCLOPS 

WHEN  the  great  city  of  Troy  was  taken,  all  the  chiefs 
who  had  fought  against  it  set  sail  for  their  homes,  But 
there  was  wrath  in  heaven  against  them,  for  indeed  they 
had  borne  themselves  haughtily  and  cruelly  in  the  day 
of  their  victory.  Therefore  they  did  not  all  find  a  safe  and 
happy  return.  For  one  was  shipwrecked,  and  another 
was  shamefully  slain  by  his  false  wife  in  his  palace,  and 
others  found  all  things  at  home  troubled  and  changed, 
and  were  driven  to  seek  new  dwellings  elsewhere.  And 
some,  whose  wives  and  friends  and  people  had  been  still 
true  to  them  through  those  ten  long  years  of  absence, 
were  driven  far  and  wide  about  the  world  before  they 
saw  their  native  land  again.  And  of  all,  the  wise  Ulysses 
was  he  who  wandered  farthest  and  suffered  most. 

He  was  well-nigh  the  last  to  sail,  for  he  had  tarried 
many  days  to  do  pleasure  to  Agamemnon,  lord  of  all 
the  Greeks.  Twelve  ships  he  had  with  him — twelve 
he  had  brought  to  Troy — and  in  each  there  were  some 
fifty  men,  being  scarce  half  of  those  that  had  sailed  in 
them  in  the  old  days,  so  many  valiant  heroes  slept  the 
last  sleep  by  Simois  and  Scamander,  and  in  the  plain  and 
on  the  seashore,  slain  in  battle  or  by  the  shafts  of  Apollo. 

First  they  sailed  northwest  to  the  Thracian  coast, 
where  the  Ciconians  dwelt,  who  had  helped  the  men  of 
Troy.  Their  city  they  took,  and  in  it  much  plunder, 

316 


The  Cyclops  217 

slaves  and  oxen,  and  jars  of  fragrant  wine,  and  might 
have  escaped  unhurt,  but  that  they  stayed  to  hold  revel 
on  the  shore.  For  the  Ciconians  gathered  their  neigh 
bours,  being  men  of  the  same  blood,  and  did  battle  with 
the  invaders,  and  drove  them  to  their  ship.  And  when 
Ulysses  numbered  his  men,  he  found  that  he  had  lost  six 
out  of  each  ship. 

Scarce  had  he  set  out  again  when  the  wind  began  to 
blow  fiercely;  so,  seeing  a  smooth  sandy'  beach,  they 
drave  the  ships  ashore  and  dragged  them  out  of  reach  of 
the  waves,  and  waited  till  the  storm  should  abate.  And 
the  third  morning  being  fair,  they  sailed  again,  and 
journeyed  prosperously  till  they  came  to  the  very  end 
of  the  great  Peloponnesian  land,  where  Cape  Malea  looks 
out  upon  the  southern  sea.  But  contrary  currents 
baffled  them,  so  that  they  could  not  round  it,  and  the 
north  wind  blew  so  strongly  that  they  must  fain  drive 
before  it.  And  on  the  tenth  day  they  came  to  the  land 
where  the  lotus  grows — a  wondrous  fruit,  of  which 
whosoever  eats  cares  not  to  see  country  or  wife  or  children 
again.  Now  the  Lotus  eaters,  for  so  they  call  the  people 
of  the  land,  were  a  kindly  folk,  and  gave  of  the  fruit  to 
some  of  the  sailors,  not  meaning  them  any  harm,  but 
thinking  it  to  be  the  best  that  they  had  to  give.  These, 
when  they  had  eaten,  said  that  they  would  not  sail  any 
more  over  the  sea;  which,  when  the  wise  Ulysses  heard,  he 
bade  their  comrades  bind  them  and  carry  them,  sadly 
complaining,  to  the  ships. 

Then,  the  wind  having  abated,  they  took  to  their 
oars,  and  rowed  for  many  days  till  they  came  to  the  coun 
try  where  the  Cyclopes  dwell.  Now,  a  mile  or  so  from 
the  shore  there  was  an  island,  very  fair  and  fertile,  but 
no  man  dwells  there  or  tills  the  soil,  and  in  the  island  a 


2i8  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

harbour  where  a  ship  may  be  safe  from  all  winds,  and  at 
the  head  of  the  harbour  a  stream  falling  from  the  rock, 
and  whispering  alders  all  about  it.  Into  this  the  ships 
passed  safely,  and  were  hauled  up  on  the  beach,  and  the 
crews  slept  by  them,  waiting  for  the  morning.  And  the 
next  day  they  hunted  the  wild  goats,  of  which  there 
was  great  store  on  the  island,  and  feasted  right  merrily 
on  what  they  caught,  with  draughts  of  red  wine  which 
they  had  carried  off  from  the  town  of  the  Ciconians. 

But  on  the  morrow,  Ulysses,  for  he  was  ever  fond  of 
adventure,  and  would  know  of  every  land  to  which  he 
came  what  manner  of  men  they  wrere  that  dwelt  there, 
took  one  of  his  twelve  ships  and  bade  row  to  the  land. 
There  was  a  great  hill  sloping  to  the  shore,  and  there 
rose  up  here  and  there  a  smoke  from  the  caves  where  the 
Cyclopes  dwelt  apart,  holding  no  converse  with  each 
other,  for  they  were  a  rude  and  savage  folk,  but  ruled  each 
his  own  household,  not  caring  for  others.  Now  very 
close  to  the  shore  was  one  of  these  caves,  very  huge  and 
deep,  with  laurels  round  about  the  mouth,  and  in  front 
a  fold  with  walls  built  of  rough  stone,  and  shaded  by  tall 
oaks  and  pines.  So  Ulysses  chose  out  of  the  crew  the 
twelve  bravest,  and  bade  the  rest  guard  the  ship,  and 
went  to  see  what  manner  of  dwelling  this  was,  and  who 
abode  there.  He  had  his  sword  by  his  side,  and  on  his 
shoulder  a  mighty  skin  of  wine,  sweet  smelling  and 
strong,  with  which  he  might  win  the  heart  of  some  fierce 
savage,  should  he  chance  to  meet  with  such,  as  indeed  his 
prudent  heart  forecasted  that  he  might. 

So  they  entered  the  cave,  and  judged  that  it  was  the 
dwelling  of  some  rich  and  skilful  shepherd.  For  within 
there  were  pens  for  the  young  of  the  sheep  and  of  the 
goats,  divided  all  according  to  their  age,  and  there  were 


The  Cyclops  219 

baskets  full  of  cheeses,  and  full  milkpaik  ranged  along  the 
wall.  But  the  Cyclops  himself  was  away  in  the  pastures. 
Then  the  companions  of  Ulysses  besought  him  that  he 
would  depart,  taking  with  ^im,  if  he  would,  a  store  of 
cheeses  and  sundry  of  the  lambs  and  of  the  kids.  But 
he  would  not,  for  he  wished  to  see,  after  his  wont,  what 
manner  of  host  this  strange  shepherd  might  be.  And 
truly  he  saw  it  to  his  cost! 

It  was  evening  when  the  Cyclops  came  home,  a 
mighty  giant,  twenty  feet  in  height,  or  more.  On  his 
shoulder  he  bore  a  vast  bundle  of  pine  logs  for  his  fire, 
and  threw  them  down  outside  the  cave  with  a  great  crash, 
and  drove  the  flocks  within,  and  closed  the  entrance 
with  a  huge  rock,  which  twenty  wagons  and  more  could 
not  bear.  Then  he  milked  the  ewes  and  all  the  she 
goats,  and  half  of  the  milk  he  curdled  for  cheese,  and 
half  he  set  ready  for  himself,  when  he  should  sup.  Next 
he  kindled  a  fire  with  the  pine  logs,  and  the  flame  lighted 
up  all  the  cave,  showing  him  Ulysses  and  his  comrades. 

"Who  are  ye?"  cried  Polyphemus,  for  that  was  the 
giant's  name.  "Are  ye  traders,  or,  haply,  pirates?" 

For  in  those  days  it  was  not  counted  shame  to  be 
called  a  pirate. 

Ulysses  shuddered  at  the  dreadful  voice  and  shape, 
but  bore  him  bravely,  and  answered,  "We  are  no  pirates, 
mighty  sir,  but  Greeks,  sailing  back  from  Troy,  and 
subjects  of  the  great  King  Agamemnon,  whose  fame  is 
spread  from  one  end  of  heaven  to  the  other.  And  we  are 
come  to  beg  hospitality  of  thee  in  the  name  of  Zeus,  who 
rewards  or  punishes  hosts  and  guests  according  as  they 
be  faithful  the  one  to  the  other,  or  no." 

"Nay,"  said  the  giant,  "it  is  but  idle  talk  to  tell  me  of 
Zeus  and  the  other  gods.  We  Cyclopes  take  no  account 


220  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

of  gods,  holding  ourselves  to  be  much  better  and  stronger 
than  they.  But  come,  tell  me  where  have  you  left  your 
ship?" 

But  Ulysses  saw  his  thought  when  he  asked  about  the 
ship,  how  he  was  minded  to  break  it,  and  take  from  them 
all  hope  of  flight.  Therefore  he  answered  him  craftily: 

"Ship  have  we  none,  for  that  which  was  ours  King 
Poseidon  brake,  driving  it  on  a  jutting  rock  on  this  coast, 
and  we  whom  thou  seest  are  all  that  are  escaped  from  the 
waves." 

Polyphemus  answered  nothing,  but  without  more  ado 
caught  up  two  of  the  men,  as  a  man  might  catch  up  the 
whelps  of  a  dog,  and  dashed  them  on  the  ground,  and  tore 
them  limb  from  limb,  and  devoured  them,  with  huge 
draughts  of  milk  between,  leaving  not  a  morsel,  not  even 
the  very  bones.  But  the  others,  when  they  saw  the  dread 
ful  deed,  could  only  weep  and  pray  to  Zeus  for  help. 
And  when  the  giant  had  ended  his  foul  meal,  he  lay  down 
among  his-  sheep  and  slept. 

Then  Ulysses  questioned  much  in  his  heart  whether 
he  should  slay  the  monster  as  he  slept,  for  he  doubted  not 
that  his  good  sword  would  pierce  to  the  giant's  heart, 
mighty  as  he  was.  But,  being  very  wise,  he  remembered 
that,  should  he  slay  him,  he  and  his  comrades  would  yet 
perish  miserably.  For  who  should  move  away  the  great 
rock  that  lay  against  the  door  of  the  cave?  So  they 
waited  till  the  morning.  And  the  monster  woke,  and 
milked  his  flocks,  and  afterward,  seizing  two  men,  de 
voured  them  for  his  meal.  Then  he  went  to  the  pastures, 
but  put  the  great  rock  on  the  mouth  of  the  cave,  just  as  a 
man  puts  down  the  lid  upon  his  quiver. 

All  that  day  the  wise  Ulysses  was  thinking  what  he 
might  best  do  to  save  himself  and  his  companions  and 


The  Cyclops  221 

the  end  of  his  thinking  was  this:  There  was  a  mighty 
pole  in  the  cave,  green  wood  of  an  olive  tree,  big  as  a 
ship's  mast,  which  Polyphemus  purposed  to  use,  when 
the  smoke  should  have  dried  it,  as  a  walking  staff.  Of 
this  he  cut  off  a  fathom's  length,  and  his  comrades 
sharpened  it  and  hardened  it  in  the  fire,  and  then  hid  it 
away.  At  evening  the  giant  came  back,  and  drove  his 
sheep  into  the  cave,  nor  left  the  rams  outside,  as  he  had 
been  wont  to  do  before,  but  shut  them  in.  And  having 
duly  done  his  shepherd's  work,  he  made  his  cruel  feast  as 
before.  Then  Ulysses  came  forward  with  the  wine  skin 
in  his  hand,  and  said: 

"Drink,  Cyclops,  now  that  thou  hast  feasted.  Drink, 
and  see  what  precious  things  we  had  in  our  ship.  But 
no  one  hereafter  will  come  to  thee  with  such  like,  if  thou 
dealest  with  strangers  as  cruelly  as  thou  hast  dealt  with 
us." 

Then  the  Cyclops  drank,  and  was  mightily  pleased, 
and  said,  "  Give  me  again  to  drink,  and  tell  me  thy  name, 
stranger,  and  I  will  give  thee  a  gift  such  as  a  host  should 
give.  In  good  truth  this  is  a  rare  liquor.  We,  too,  have 
vines,  but  they  bear  not  wine  like  this,  which  indeed 
must  be  such  as  the  gods  drink  in  heaven." 

Then  Ulysses  gave  him  the  cup  again,  and  he  drank. 
Thrice  he  gave  it  to  him,  and  thrice  he  drank,  not  knowing 
what  it  was,  and  how  it  would  work  within  his  brain. 

Then  Ulysses  spake  to  him.  "Thou  didst  ask  my 
name,  Cyclops.  Lo!  my  name  is  No  Man.  And  now 
that  thou  knowest  my  name,  thou  shouldst  give  me  thy 
gift." 

And  he  said,  "My  gift  shall  be  that  I  will  eat  thee  last 
of  all  thy  company." 

And  as  he  spake  he  fell  back  in  a  drunken  sleep.    Then 


222  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

Ulysses  bade  his  comrades  be  of  good  courage,  for  the 
time  was  come  when  they  should  be  delivered.  And  they 
thrust  the  stake  of  olive  wood  into  the  fire  till  it  was 
ready,  green  as  it  was,  to  burst  into  flame,  and  they 
thrust  it  into  the  monster's  eye;  for  he  had  but  one  eye, 
and  that  in  the  midst  of  his  forehead,  with  the  eyebrow 
below  it.  And  Ulysses  leant  with  all  his  force  upon  the 
stake,  and  thrust  it  in  with  might  and  main.  And  the 
burning  wood  hissed  in  the  eye,  just  as  the  red-hot  iron 
hisses  in  the  water  when  a  man  seeks  to  temper  steel  for 
a  sword. 

Then  the  giant  leapt  up,  and  tore  away  the  stake,  and 
cried  aloud,  so  that,  all  the  Cyclopes  who  dwelt  on  the 
mountain  side  heard  him  and  came  about  his  cave, 
asking  him,  "What  aileth  thee,  Polyphemus,  that  thou 
makest  this  uproar  in  the  peaceful  night,  driving  away 
sleep  ?  Is  any  one  robbing  thee  of  thy  sheep,  or  seeking 
to  slay  thee  by  craft  or  force?" 

And  the  giant  answered,  "No  Man  slays  me  by  craft." 

"Nay,  but,"  they  said,  "if  no  man  does  thee  wrong, 
we  cannot  help  thee.  The  sickness  which  great  Zeus  may 
send,  who  can  avoid  ?  Pray  to  our  father,  Poseidon,  for 
help." 

Then  they  departed;  and  Ulysses  was  glad  at  heart  for 
the  good  success  of  his  device,  when  he  said  that  he  was 
No  Man. 

But  the  Cyclops  rolled  away  the  great  stone  from  the 
door  of  the  cave,  and  sat  in  the  midst  stretching  out  his 
hands,  to  feel  whether  perchance  the  men  within  the  cave 
would  seek  to  go  out  among  the  sheep. 

Long  did  Ulysses  think  how  he  and  his  comrades  should 
best  escape.  At  last  he  lighted  upon  a  good  device,  and 
much  he  thanked  Zeus  for  that  this  once  the  giant  had 


The  Cyclops  223 

driven  the  rams  with  the  other  sheep  into  the  cave.  For, 
these  being  great  and  strong,  he  fastened  his  comrades 
under  the  bellies  of  the  beasts,  tying  them  with  osier 
twigs,  of  which  the  giant  made  his  bed.  One  ram  he 
took,  and  fastened  a  man  beneath  it,  and  two  others  he 
set,  one  on  either  side.  So  he  did  with  the  six,  for  but 
six  were  left  out  of  the  twelve  who  had  ventured  with  him 
from  the  ship.  And  there  was  one  mighty  ram,  far 
larger  than  all  the  others,  and  to  this  Ulysses  clung, 
grasping  the  fleece  tight  with  both  his  hands.  So  they 
waited  for  the  morning.  And  when  the  morning  came, 
the  rams  rushed  forth  to  the  pasture;  but  the  giant  sat  in 
the  door  and  felt  the  back  of  each  as  it  went  by,  nor 
thought  to  try  what  might  be  underneath.  Last  of  all 
went  the  great  ram.  And  the  Cyclops  knew  him  as  he 
passed  and  said: 

"How  is  this,  thou,  who  art  the  leader  of  the  flock? 
Thou  art  not  wont  thus  to  lag  behind.  Thou  hast  always 
been  the  first  to  run  to  the  pastures  and  streams  in  the 
morning,  and  the  first  to  come  back  to  the  fold  when  even 
ing  fell;  and  now  thou  art  last  of  all.  Perhaps  thou  art 
troubled  about  thy  master's  eye,  which  some  wretch — 
No  Man,  they  call  him — has  destroyed,  having  first  mas 
tered  me  with  wine.  He  has  not  escaped,  I  ween.  I 
would  that  thou  couldst  speak,  and  tell  me  where  he  is 
lurking.  Of  a  truth  I  would  dash  out  his  brains  upon  the 
ground,  and  avenge  me  of  this  No  Man." 

So  speaking,  he  let  him  pass  out  of  the  cave.  But  when 
they  were  out  of  reach  of  the  giant,  Ulysses  loosed  his  hold 
of  the  ram,  and  then  unbound  his  comrades.  And  they 
hastened  to  their  ship,  not  forgetting  to  drive  before  them 
a  good  store  of  the  Cyclops'  fat  sheep.  Right  glad  were 
those  that  had  abode  by  the  ship  to  see  them.  Nor  did 


224  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

they  lament  for  those  that  had  died,  though  they  were  fain 
to  do  so,  for  Ulysses  forbade,  fearing  lest  the  noise  of  their 
weeping  should  betray  them  to  the  giant,  where  they  were. 
Then  they  all  climbed  into  the  ship,  and  sitting  well  in 
order  on  the  benches,  smote  the  sea  with  their  oars, 
laying-to  right  lustily,  that  they  might  the  sooner  get  away 
from  the  accursed  land.  And  when  they  had  rowed  a 
hundred  yards  or  so,  so  that  a  man's  voice  could  yet  be 
heard  by  one  who  stood  upon  the  shore,  Ulysses  stood  up 
in  the  ship  and  shouted: 

"He  was  no  coward,  O  Cyclops,  whose  comrades  thou 
didst  so  foully  slay  in  thy  den.  Justly  art  thou  punished, 
monster,  that  devourest  thy  guests  in  thy  dwelling.  May 
the  gods  make  thee  suffer  yet  worse  things  than  these!" 

Then  the  Cylops,  in  his  wrath,  broke  off  the  top  of  a 
great  hill,  a  mighty  rock,  and  hurled  it  where  he  had 
heard  the  voice.  Right  in  front  of  the  ship's  bow  it  fell, 
and  a  great  wave  rose  as  it  sank,  and  washed  the  ship 
back  to  the  shore.  But  Ulysses  seized  a  long  pole  with 
both  hands  and  pushed  the  ship  from  the  land,  and  bade 
his  comrades  ply  their  oars,  nodding  with  his  head,  for 
he  was  too  wise  to  speak,  lest  the  Cyclops  should  know 
where  they  were.  Then  they  rowed  with  all  their  might 
and  main. 

And  when  they  had  gotten  twice  as  far  as  before, 
Ulysses  made  as  if  he  would  speak  again;  but  his  com 
rades  sought  to  hinder  hirn,  saying,  "Nay,  my  lord,  anger 
not  the  giant  any  more.  Surely  we  thought  before  we 
were  lost,  when  he  threw  the  great  rock,  and  washed  our 
ship  back  to  the  shore.  And  if  he  hear  thee  now,  he  may 
crush  our  ship  and  us,  for  the  man  throws  a  mighty  bolt, 
and  throws  it  far." 

But  Ulysses  would  not  be  persuaded,  but  stood  up  and 


The  Cyclops  22$ 

said,  "Hear,  Cyclops!  If  any  man  ask  who  blinded  thee, 
say  that  it  was  the  warrior  Ulysses,  son  of  Laertes,  dwell 
ing  in  Ithaca." 

And  the  Cyclops  answered  with  a  groan,  "  Of  a  truth, 
the  old  oracles  are  fulfilled,  for  long  ago  there  came  to  this 
land  one  Telemus,  a  prophet,  and  dwelt  among  us  even 
to  old  age.  This  man  foretold  me  that  one  Ulysses  would 
rob  me  of  my  sight.  But  I  looked  for  a  great  man  and  a 
strong,  who  should  subdue  me  by  force,  and  now  a  weak 
ling  has  done  the  deed,  having  cheated  me  with  wine. 
But  come  thou  hither,  Ulysses,  and  I  will  be  a  host  indeed 
to  thee.  Or,  at  least,  may  Poseidon  give  thee  such  a 
voyage  to  thy  home  as  I  would  wish  thee  to  have.  For 
know  that  Poseidon  is  my  sire.  May  be  that  he  may  heal 
me  of  my  grievous  wound." 

And  Ulysses  said,  "Would  to  God,  I  could  send  thee 
down  to  the  abode  of  the  dead,  where  thou  wouldst  be  past 
all  healing,  even  from  Poseidon's  self." 

Then  Cyclops  lifted  up  his  hands  to  Poseidon  and 
prayed: 

"Hear  me,  Poseidon,  if  I  am  indeed  thy  son  and  thou 
my  father.  May  this  Ulysses  never  reach  his  home!  or, 
if  the  Fates  have  ordered  that  he  should  reach  it,  may  he 
come  alone,  all  his  comrades  lost,  and  come  to  find  sore 
trouble  in  his  house!" 

And  as  he  ended  he  hurled  another  mighty  rock,  which 
almost  lighted  on  the  rudder's  end,  yet  missed  it  as  if  by  a 
hair's  breadth.  So  Ulysses  and  his  comrades  escaped, 
and  came  to  the  island  of  the  wild  goats,  where  they  found 
their  comrades,  who  indeed  had  waited  long  for  them,  in 
sore  fear  lest  they  had  perished.  Then  Ulysses  divided 
among  his  company  all  the  sheep  which  they  had  taken 
(rom  the  Cyclops.  And  all,  with  one  consent,  gave  him 


226  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

for  his  share  the  great  ram  which  had  carried  him  out  of 
the  cave,  and  he  sacrificed  it  to  Zeus.  And  all  that  day 
they  feasted  right  merrily  on  the  flesh  of  sheep  and  on 
sweet  wine,  and  when  the  night  was  come,  they  lay  down 
upon  the  shore  and  slept. 


CHAPTER  X 

THE  ARGONAUTS 


How  the  Centaur  Trained  the  Heroes  on  Pelion 

I  HAVE  told  you  of  a  hero  who  fought  with  wild  beasts 
and  with  wild  men;  but  now  I  have  a  tale  of  heroes  who 
sailed  away  into  a  distant  land  to  win  themselves  renown 
forever,  in  the  adventure  of  the  Golden  Fleece. 

Whither  they  sailed,  my  children,  I  cannot  clearly  tell. 
It  all  happened  long  ago;  so  long  that  it  has  all  grown 
dim,  like  a  dream  which  you  dreamed  last  year.  And  why 
they  went,  I  cannot  tell;  some  say  that  it  was  to  win  gold, 
It  may  be  so;  but  the  noblest  deeds  which  have  been  done 
on  earth,  have  not  been  done  for  gold.  It  was  not  for  the 
sake  of  gold  that  the  Lord  came  down  and  died,  and  the 
Apostles  went  out  to  preach  the  good  news  in  all  lands. 
The  Spartans  looked  for  no  reward  in  money  when  they 
fought  and  died  at  Thermopylae;  and  Socrates  the  wise 
asked  no  pay  from  his  countrymen,  but  lived  poor  and 
barefoot  all  his  days,  only  caring  to  make  men  good.  And 
there  are  heroes  in  our  days  also,  who  do  noble  deeds,  but 
not  for  gold.  Our  discoverers  did  not  go  to  make  them 
selves  rich,  when  they  sailed  out  one  after  another  into  the 
dreary  frozen  seas;  nor  did  the  ladies,  who  went  out  last 

227 


228  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

year,  to  drudge  in  the  hospitals  of  the  East,  making  them 
selves  poor,  that  they  might  be  rich  in  noble  works.  And 
young  men,  too,  whom  you  know,  children,  and  some  of 
them  of  your  own  kin,  did  they  say  to  themselves,  "How 
much  money  shall  I  earn?"  when  they  went  out  to  the 
war,  leaving  wealth,  and  comfort,  and  a  pleasant  home, 
and  all  that  money  can  give,  to  face  hunger  and  thirst,  and 
wounds  and  death,  that  they  might  fight  for  their  country 
and  their  Queen?  No,  children,  there  is  a  better  thing 
on  earth  than  wealth,  a  better  thing  than  life  itself;  and 
that  is,  to  have  done  something  before  you  die,  for  which 
good  men  may  honour  you,  and  God  your  Father  smile 
upon  your  work. 

Therefore  we  will  believe — why  should  we  not — of 
these  same  Argonauts  of  old,  that  they,  too,  were  noble 
men,  who  planned  and  did  a  noble  deed;  and  that  there 
fore  their  fame  has  lived,  and  been  told  in  story  and  in 
song,  mixed  up,  no  doubt,  with  dreams  and  fables,  yet 
true  and  right  at  heart.  So  we  will  honour  these  old 
Argonauts,  and  listen  to  their  story  as  it  stands;  and  we 
will  try  to  be  like  them,  each  of  us  in  our  place;  for 
each  of  us  has  a  Golden  Fleece  to  seek,  and  a  wild  sea  to 
sail  over,  ere  we  reach  it,  and  dragons  to  fight  ere  it  be 
ours. 

And  what  was  that  first  Golden  Fleece?  I  do  not 
know,  nor  care.  The  old  Hellenes  said  that  it  hung  in 
Colchis,  which  we  call  the  Circassian  coast,  nailed  to  a 
beech  tree  in  the  war-god's  wood;  and  that  it  was  the  fleece 
of  the  wondrous  ram,  who  bore  Phrixus  and  Helle  across 
the  Euxine  Sea.  For  Phrixus  and  Helle  were  the  children 
of  the  cloud  nymph,  and  of  Athamas  the  Minuan  king. 
And  when  a  famine  came  upon  the  land,  their  cruel  step 
mother,  Ino,  wished  to  kill  them,  that  her  own  children 


The  Argonauts  229 

might  reign,  and  said  that  they  must  be  sacrificed  on  an 
altar,  to  turn  away  the  anger  of  the  gods.  So  the  poor 
children  were  brought  to  the  altar,  and  the  priest  stood 
ready  with  his  knife,  when  out  of  the  clouds  came  the 
Golden  Ram,  and  took  them  on  his  back,  and  vanished. 
Then  madness  came  upon  that  foolish  king  Athamas,  and 
ruin  upon  Ino  and  her  children.  For  Athamas  killed  one 
of  them  in  his  fury,  and  Ino  fled  from  him  with  the  other 
in  her  arms,  and  leaped  from  a  cliff  into  the  sea,  and  was 
changed  into  a  dolphin,  such  as  you  have  seen,  which 
wanders  over  the  waves  forever  sighing,  with  its  little  one 
clasped  to  its  breast. 

But  the  people  drove  out  King  Athamas,  because  he 
had  killed  his  child;  and  he  roamed  about  in  his  misery, 
till  he  came  to  the  Oracle  in  Delphi.  And  the  Oracle 
told  him  that  he  must  wander  for  his  sin,  till  the  wild 
beasts  should  feast  him  as  their  guest.  So  he  went  on  in 
hunger  and  sorrow  for  many  a  weary  day,  till  he  saw  a 
pack  of  wolves.  The  wolves  were  tearing  a  sheep;  but 
when  they  saw  Athamas  they  fled,  and  left  the  sheep  for 
him,  and  he  ate  of  it;  and  then  he  knew  that  the  oracle 
was  fulfilled  at  last.  So  he  wandered  no  more;  but 
settled,  and  built  a  town,  and  became  a  king  again. 

But  the  ram  carried  the  two  children  far  away  over 
land  and  sea,  till  he  came  to  the  Thracian  Chersonese, 
and  there  Helle  fell  into  the  sea.  So  those  narrow  straits 
are  called  "  Hellespont,"  after  her;  and  they  bear  that 
name  until  this  day. 

Then  the  ram  flew  on  with  Phrixus  to  the  northeast 
across  the  sea  which  we  call  the  Black  Sea  now;  but  the 
Hellenes  called  it  Euxine.  And  at  last,  they  say,  he 
Stopped  at  Colchis,  on  the  steep  Circassian  coast;  and 
there  Phrixus  married  Chalchiope,  the  daughter  of  Aietes 


230  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

the  king;  and  offered  the  ram  in  sacrifice;  and  Aietes 
nailed  the  ram's  fleece  to  a  beech,  in  the  grove  of  Ares  the 
war  god. 

And  after  awhile  Phrixus  died,  and  was  buried,  but  his 
spirit  had  no  rest;  for  he  was  buried  far  from  his  native 
land,  and  the  pleasant  hills  of  Hellas.  So  he  came  in 
dreams  to  the  heroes  of  the  Minuai,  and  called  sadly  by 
their  beds:  "Come  and  set  my  spirit  free,  that  I  may  go 
home  to  my  fathers  and  to  my  kinsfolk,  and  the  pleasant 
Minuan  land." 

And  they  asked:  "How  shall  we  set  your  spirit  free?" 

"You  must  sail  over  the  sea  to  Colchis,  and  bring  home 
the  golden  fleece;  and  then  my  spirit  will  come  back  with 
it,  and  I  shall  sleep  with  my  fathers  and  have  rest." 

He  came  thus,  and  called  to  them  often,  but  when  they 
woke  they  looked  at  each  other,  and  said:  "Who  dare 
sail  to  Colchis,  or  bring  home  the  golden  fleece?"  And 
in  all  the  country  none  was  brave  enough  to  try  it;  for 
the  man  and  the  time  were  not  come. 

Phrixus  had  a  cousin  called  ^Eson,  who  was  king  in 
lolcos  by  the  sea.  There  he  ruled  over  the  rich  Minuan 
heroes,  as  Athamas  his  uncle  ruled  in  Bceotia;  and  like 
Athamas,  he  was  an  unhappy  man.  For  he  had  a  step 
brother  named  Pelias,  of  whom  some  said  that  he  was  a 
nymph's  son,  and  there  were  dark  and  sad  tales  about  his 
birth.  When  he  was  a  babe  he  was  cast  out  on  the 
mountains,  and  a  wild  mare  came  by  and  kicked  him. 
But  a  shepherd  passing  found  the  baby,  with  its  face  all 
blackened  by  the  blow;  and  took  him  home,  and  called 
him  Pelias,  because  his  face  was  bruised  and  black.  And 
he  grew  up  fierce  and  lawless,  and  did  many  a  fearful 
deed;  and  at  last  he  drove  out  ^Eson  his  stepbrother, 
and  then  his  own  brother  Neleus,  and  took  the  kingdom 


The  Argonauts  '  231 

to  himself,  and  ruled  over  the  rich  Minuan  heroes,  in 
lolcos  by  the  sea. 

And  ^Eson,  when  he  was  driven  out,  went  sadly  away 
out  of  the  town,  leading  his  little  son  by  the  hand;  and  he 
said  to  himself,  "I  must  hide  the  child  in  the  mountains; 
or  Pelias  will  surely  kill  him,  because  he  is  the  heir." 

So  he  went  up  from  the  sea  across  the  valley,  through 
the  vineyards  and  the  olive  groves,  and  across  the  torrent 
of  Anauros,  toward  Pelion  the  ancient  mountain,  whose 
brows  are  white  with  snow. 

He  went  up  and  up  into  the  mountain  over  marsh, 
and  crag,  and  down,  till  the  boy  was  tired  and  footsore, 
and  ^Eson  had  to  bear  him  in  his  arms,  till  he  came  to  the 
mouth  of  a  lonely  cave,  at  the  foot  of  a  mighty  cliff. 

Above  the  cliff  the  snow  wreaths  hung,  dripping  and 
cracking  in  the  sun.  But  at  its  foot  around  the  cave's 
mouth  grew  all  fair  flowers  and  herbs,  as  if  in  a  garden, 
ranged  in  order,  each  sort  by  itself.  There  they  grew 
gayly  in  the  sunshine,  and  the  spray  of  the  torrent  from 
above ;  while  from  the  cave  came  the  sound  of  music,  and 
a  man's  voice  singing  to  the  harp. 

Then  ^Eson  put  down  the  lad,  and  whispered: 

"Fear  not,  but  go  in,  and  whomsoever  you  shall  find, 
lay  your  hands  upon  his  knees,  and  say,  'In  the  name  of 
Zeus  the  father  of  gods  and  men,  I  am  your  guest  from 
this  day  forth.'" 

Then  the  lad  went  in  without  trembling,  for  he,  too, 
was  a  hero's  son;  but  when  he  was  within,  he  stopped  in 
wonder,  to  listen  to  that  magic  song. 

And  there  he  saw  the  singer  lying  upon  bear  skins  and 
fragrant  boughs;  Cheiron,  the  ancient  centaur,  the  wisest 
of  all  things  beneath  the  sky.  Down  to  the  waist  he  was 
a  man;  but  below  he  was  a  noble  horse;  his  white  hair 


232  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

rolled  down  over  his  broad  shoulders,  and  his  white 
beard  over  his  broad  brown  chest;  and  his  eyes  were 
wise  and  mild,  and  his  forehead  like  a  mountain  wall. 

And  in  his  hands  he  held  a  harp  of  gold,  and  struck 
it  with  a  golden  key;  and  as  he  struck,  he  sang  till  his 
eyes  glittered,  and  filled  all  the  cave  with  light. 

And  he  sang  of  the  birth  of  Time,  and  of  the  heavens 
and  the  dancing  stars;  and  of  the  ocean,  and  the  ether, 
and  the  fire,  and  the  shaping  of  the  wondrous  earth. 
And  he  sang  of  the  treasures  of  the  hills,  and  the  hidden 
jewels  of  the  mine,  and  the  veins  of  fire  and  metal,  and 
the  virtues  of  all  healing  herbs,  and  of  the  speech  of  birds, 
and  of  prophecy,  and  of  hidden  things  to  come. 

Then  he  sang  of  health,  and  strength,  and  manhood, 
and  a  valiant  heart;  and  of  music,  and  hunting,  and 
wrestling,  and  all  the  games  which  heroes  love;  and  of 
travel,  and  wars,  and  sieges,  and  a  noble  death  in  fight; 
and  then  he  sang  of  peace  and  plenty,  and  of  equal 
justice  in  the  land;  and  as  he  sang,  the  boy  listened  wide 
eyed,  and  forgot  his  errand  in  the  song. 

And  at  the  last  old  Cheiron  was  silent,  and  called  the 
lad  with  a  soft  voice. 

And  the  lad  ran  trembling  to  him,  and  would  have 
laid  his  hands  upon  his  knees;  but  Cheiron  smiled,  and 
said,  "Call  hither  your  father  ^Eson,  for  I  know  you,  and 
all  that  has  befallen,  and  saw  you  both  afar  in  the  valley, 
even  before  you  left  the  town." 

Then  ^Eson  came  in  sadly,  and  Cheiron  asked  him, 
"Why  came  you  not  yourself  to  me,  ^Eson  the  ^Eolid?" 

And  ^Eson  said: 

"I  thought,  Cheiron  will  pity  the  lad  if  he  sees  him 
come  alone;  and  I  wished  to  try  whether  he  was  fearless, 
and  dare  venture  like  a  hero's  son.  But  now  I  entreat 


The  Argonauts  233 

you  by  Father  Zeus,  let  the  boy  be  your  guest  till  better 
times,  and  train  him  among  the  sons  of  the  heroes,  that 
he  may  avenge  his  father's  house." 

Then  Cheiron  smiled,  and  drew  the  lad  to  him,  and 
laid  his  hand  upon  his  golden  locks,  and  said,  "Are  you 
afraid  of  my  horse's  hoofs,  fair  boy,  or  will  you  be  my 
pupil  from  this  day?" 

"I  would  gladly  have  horse's  hoofs  like  you,  if  I  could 
sing  such  songs  as  yours." 

And  Cheiron  laughed,  and  said,  "Sit  here  by  me  till 
sundown,  when  your  playfellows  will  come  home,  and 
you  shall  learn  like  them  to  be  a  king,  worthy  to  rule  over 
gallant  men." 

Then  he  turned  to  ^Eson,  and  said,  "  Go  back  in  peace, 
and  bend  before  the  storm  like  a  prudent  man.  This 
boy  shall  not  cross  the  Anauros  again,  till  he  has  become 
a  glory  to  you  and  to  the  house  of  ^Eolus." 

And  JEson  wept  over  his  son  and  went  away;  but  the 
boy  did  not  weep,  so  full  was  his  fancy  of  that  strange 
cave,  and  the  Centaur,  and  his  song,  and  the  playfellows 
whom  he  was  to  see. 

Then  Cheiron  put  the  lyre  into  his  hands,  and  taught 
him  how  to  play  it,  till  the  sun  sank  low  behind  the 
cliff,  and  a  shout  was  heard  outside. 

And  then  in  came  the  sons  of  the  heroes,  ^Eneas,  and 
Heracles,  and  Peleus,  and  many  another  mighty  name. 

And  great  Cheiron  leapt  up  joyfully,  and  his  hoofs 
made  the  cave  resound,  as  they  shouted,  "Come  out, 
Father  Cheiron;  come  out  and  see  our  game."  And  one 
cried,  "I  have  killed  two  deer,"  and  another,  "I  took  a 
wildcat  among  the  crags";  and  Heracles  dragged  a  wild 
goat  after  him  by  its  horns,  for  he  was  as  huge  as  a 
mountain  crag;  and  Caeneus  carried  a  bear  cub  under 


234  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

each  arm,  and  laughed  when  they  scratched  and  bit;  for 
neither  tooth  nor  steel  could  wound  him. 

And  Cheiron  praised  them  all,  each  according  to  his 
deserts. 

Only  one  walked  apart  and  silent,  Asclepius,  the  too- 
wise  child,  with  his  bosom  full  of  herbs  and  flowers,  and 
round  his  wrist  a  spotted  snake ;  he  came  with  downcast 
eyes  to  Cheiron,  and  whispered  how  he  had  watched  the 
snake  cast  his  old  skin,  and  grow  young  again  before  his 
eyes,  and  how  he  had  gone  down  into  a  village  in  the 
vale,  and  cured  a  dying  man  with  a  herb  which  he  had 
seen  a  sick  goat  eat. 

And  Cheiron  smiled,  and  said:  "To  each  Athene  and 
Apollo  give  some  gift,  and  each  is  worthy  in  his  place;  but 
to  this  child  they  have  given  an  honour  beyond  all 
honours,  to  cure  while  others  kill." 

Then  the  lads  brought  in  wood,  and  split  it,  and 
lighted  a  blazing  fire;  and  others  skinned  the  deer  and 
quartered  them,  and  set  them  to  roast  before  the  fire; 
and  while  the  venison  was  cooking  they  bathed  in  the 
snow  torrent,  and  washed  away  the  dust  and  sweat. 

And  then  all  ate  till  they  could  eat  no  more  (for  they 
had  tasted  nothing  since  the  dawn),  and  drank  of  the 
clear  spring  water,  for  wine  is  not  fit  for  growing  lads. 
And  when  the  remnants  were  put  away,  they  all  lay 
down  upon  the  skins  and  leaves  about  the  fire,  and  each 
took  the  lyre  in  turn,  and  sang  and  played  with  all  his 
heart. 

And  after  a  while  they  all  went  out  to  a  plot  of  grass 
at  the  cave's  mouth,  and  there  they  boxed,  and  ran,  and 
wrestled,  and  laughed  till  the  stones  fell  from  the  cliffs. 

Then  Cheiron  took  his  lyre,  and  all  the  lads  joined 
hands:  and  as  he  played,  they  danced  to  his  measure,  in 


The  Argonauts  235 

and  out,  and  round  and  round.  There  they  danced  hand 
in  hand,  till  the  night  fell  over  land  and  sea,  while  the 
black  glen  shone  with  their  broad  white  limbs,  and  the 
gleam  of  their  golden  hair. 

And  the  lad  danced  with  them,  delighted,  and  then 
slept  a  wholesome  sleep,  upon  fragrant  leaves  of  bay,  and 
myrtle,  and  marjoram,  and  flowers  of  thyme;  and  rose 
at  the  dawn,  and  bathed  in  the  torrent,  and  became  a 
schoolfellow  to  the  heroes'  sons,  and  forgot  lolcos,  and  his 
father,  and  all  his  former  life.  But  he  grew  strong,  and 
brave  and  cunning,  upon  the  pleasant  downs  of  Pelion, 
in  the  keen  hungry  mountain  air.  And  he  learnt  to 
wrestle,  and  to  box,  and  to  hunt,  and  to  play  upon  the 
harp;  and  next  he  learnt  to  ride,  for  old  Cheiron  used 
to  mount  him  on  his  back ;  and  he  learnt  the  virtues  of  all 
herbs,  and  how  to  cure  all  wounds;  and  Cheiron  called 
him  Jason  the  healer,  and  that  is  his  name  until  this  day. 


PART  II 

How  Jason  Lost  His  Sandal  in  Anauros 

AND  ten  years  came  and  went,  and  Jason  was  grown 
to  be  a  mighty  man.  Some  of  his  fellows  were  gone,  and 
some  were  growing  up  by  his  side.  Asclepius  was  gone 
into  Peloponnese,  to  work  his  wondrous  cures  on  men; 
and  some  say  he  used  to  raise  the  dead  to  life.  And 
Heracles  was  gone  to  Thebes,  to  fulfil  those  famous 
labours  which  have  become  a  proverb  among  men. 
And  Peleus  had  married  a  sea  nymph,  and  his  wedding 
is  famous  to  this  day.  And  ^Eneas  was  gone  home  to 
Troy,  and  many  a  noble  tale  you  will  read  of  him,  and 


2^6  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

of  all  the  other  gallant  heroes,  the  scholars  of  Cheiron 
the  just.  And  it  happened  on  a  day  that  Jason  stood  on 
the  mountain,  and  looked  north  and  south  and  east  and 
west;  and  Cheiron  stood  by  him  and  watched  him,  for 
he  knew  that  the  time  was  come. 

And  Jason  looked  and  saw  the  plains  of  Thessaly, 
where  the  Lapithai  breed  their  horses;  and  the  lake  of 
Boibe*,  and  the  stream  which  runs  northward  to  Peneus 
and  Tempe;  and  he  looked  north,  and  saw  the  mountain 
wall  which  guards  the  Magnesian  shore;  Olympus,  the 
seat  of  the  Immortals,  and  Ossa,  and  Pelion,  where  he 
stood.  Then  he  looked  east  and  saw  the  bright  blue 
sea,  which  stretched  away  forever  toward  the  dawn. 
Then  he  looked  south,  and  saw  a  pleasant  land,  with 
white-walled  towns  and  farrris,  nestling  along  the  shore 
of  a  land-locked  bay,  while  the  smoke  rose  blue  among 
the  trees;  and  he  knew  it  for  the  bay  of  Pagasai,  and  the 
rich  lowlands  of  Haemonia,  and  lolcos  by  the  sea. 

Then  he  sighed,  and  asked:  "Is  it  true  what  the 
heroes  tell  me,  that  I  am  heir  of  that  fair  land  ?  " 

"  And  what  good  would  it  be  to  you,  Jason,  if  you  were 
heir  of  that  fair  land?" 

"I  would  take  it  and  keep  it." 

"A  strong  man  has  taken  it  and  kept  it  long.  Are  you 
stronger  than  Pelias  the  terrible?" 

"I  can  try  my  strength  with  his,"  said  Jason.  But 
Cheiron  sighed  and  said: 

"You  have  many  a  danger  to  go  through  before  you 
rule  in  lolcos  by  the  sea;  many  a  danger,  and  many  a 
woe;  and  strange  troubles  in  strange  lands,  such  as  man 
never  saw  before." 

"The  happier  I,"  said  Jason,  "to  see  what  man  never 
saw  before." 


The  Argonauts  237 

And  Cheiron  sighed  again,  and  said:  "The  eaglet 
must  leave  the  nest  when  it  is  fledged.  Will  you  go  to 
lolcos  by  the  sea  ?  Then  promise  me  two  things  before 
you  go." 

Jason  promised,  and  Cheiron  answered:  "Speak 
harshly  to  no  soul  whom  you  may  meet,  and  stand  by  the 
word  which  you  shall  speak." 

Jason  wondered  why  Cheiron  asked  this  of  him;  but 
he  knew  that  the  Centaur  was  a  prophet,  and  saw  things 
long  before  they  came.  So  he  promised,  and  leapt  down 
the  mountain,  to  take  his  fortune  like  a  man. 

He  went  down  through  the  arbutus  thickets,  and  across 
the  downs  of  thyme,  till  he  came  to  the  vineyard  walls,  and 
the  pomegranates  and  the  olives  in  the  glen ;  and  among  the 
olives  roared  Anauros,  all  foaming  with  a  summer  flood. 

And  on  the  bank  of  Anaurcs  sat  a  woman,  all  wrinkled 
gray,  and  old;  her  head  shook  palsied  on  her  breast,  and 
her  hands  shook  palsied  on  her  knees;  and  when  she 
saw  Jason,  she  spoke  whining:  "Who  will  carry  me 
across  the  flood?" 

Jason  was  bold  and  hasty,  and  was  just  going  to  leap 
into  the  flood;  and  yet  he  thought  twice  before  he  leapt, 
so  loud  roared  the  torrent  down,  all  brown  from  the 
mountain  rains,  and  silver  veined  with  melting  snow; 
while  underneath  he  could  hear  the  boulders  rumbling 
like  the  tramp  of  horsemen  or  the  roll  of  wrheels,  as  they 
gr  >und  along  the  narrow  channel,  and  shook  the  rocks  on 
which  he  stood. 

But  the  old  woman  whined  all  the  more:  "I  am 
weak  and  old,  fair  youth.  For  Hera's  sake,  carry  me 
over  the  torrent." 

And  Jason  was  going  to  answer  her  scornfully,  when 
Cheiron's  words  came  to  his  mind. 


238  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

So  he  said:  "For  Hera's  sake,  the  Queen  o£  the 
Immortals  on  Olympus,  I  will  carry  you  over  the  torrent, 
unless  we  both  are  drowned  midway." 

Then  the  old  dame  leapt  upon  his  back,  as  nimbly  as 
a  goat;  and  Jason  staggered  in,  wondering;  and  the  first 
step  was  up  to  his  knees. 

The  first  step  was  up  to  his  knees,  and  the  second  step 
was  up  to  his  waist;  and  the  stones  rolled  about  his  feet, 
and  his  feet  slipped  about  the  stones;  so  he  went  on 
staggering  and  panting,  while  the  old  woman  cried  from 
off  his  back: 

"Fool,  you  have  wet  my  mantle!  Do  you  make  game 
of  poor  old  souls  like  me  ?  " 

i  Jason  had  half  a  mind  to  drop  her,  and  let  her  get 
through  the  torrent  by  herself;  but  Cheiron's  words  were 
in  his  mind,  and  he  said  only:  "Patience,  mother;  the 
best  horse  may  stumble  some  day." 

At  last  he  staggered  to  the  shore,  and  set  her  down 
upon  the  bank;  and  a  strong  man  he  needed  to  have  been, 
or  that  wild  water  he  never  would  have  crossed. 

He  lay  panting  awhile  upon  the  bank,  and  then  leapt 
up  to  go  upon  his  journey;  but  he  cast  one  look  at  the  old 
woman,  for  he  thought,  "She  should  thank  me  once 
at  least." 

And  as  he  looked,  she  grew  fairer  than  all  women, 
and  taller  than  all  men  on  earth ;  and  her  garments  shone 
like  the  summer  sea,  and  her  jewels  like  the  stars  of 
heaven;  and  over  her  forehead  was  a  veil,  woven  of  the 
golden  clouds  of  sunset;  and  through  the  veil  she  looked 
down  on  him,  with  great  soft  heifer's  eyes;  with  great 
eyes,  mild  and  awful,  which  filled  all  the  glen  with  light. 

And  Jason  fell  upon  his  knees,  and  hid  his  face  between 
his  hands. 


The  Argonauts  239 

And  she  spoke:  "I  am  the  Queen  of  Olympus,  Hera 
the  wife  of  Zeus.  As  thou  hast  done  to  me,  so  will  I  do 
to  thee.  Call  on  me  in  the  hour  of  need,  and  try  if  the 
Immortals  can  forget." 

And  when  Jason  looked  up,  she  rose  from  off  the  earth, 
like  a  pillar  of  tall  white  cloud,  and  floated  away  across 
the  mountain  peaks,  toward  Olympus  the  holy  hill. 

Then  a  great  fear  fell  on  Jason;  but  after  a  while  he 
grew  light  of  heart;  and  he  blessed  old  Cheiron,  and 
said:  "Surely  the  Centaur  is  a  prophet,  and  guessed 
what  would  come  to  pass,  when  he  bade  me  speak  harshly 
to  no  soul  whom  I  might  meet." 

Then  he  went  down  toward  lolcos,  and  as  he  walked, 
he  found  that  he  had  lost  one  of  his  sandals  in  the  flood. 

And  as  he  went  through  the  streets,  the  people  came 
out  to  look  at  him,  so  tall  and  fair  was  he;  but  some  of 
the  elders  whispered  together;  and  at  last  one  of  them 
stopped  Jason,  and  called  to  him:  "Fair  lad,  who  are 
you,  and  whence  come  you;  and  what  is  your  errand  in 
the  town?" 

"My  name,  good  father,  is  Jason,  and  I  come  from 
Pelion  up  above;  and  my  errand  is  to  Pelias  your  king; 
tell  me  then  where  his  palace  is." 

But  the  old  man  started,  and  grew  pale,  and  said, 
"Do  you  not  know  the  oracle,  my  son,  that  you  go  so 
boldly  through  the  town,  with  but  one  sandal  on?" 

"I  am  a  stranger  here,  and  know  of  no  oracle;  but 
what  of  my  one  sandal?  I  lost  the  other  in  Anauros, 
while  I  was  struggling  with  the  flood." 

Then  the  old  man  looked  back  to  his  companions ;  and 
one  sighed  and  another  smiled;  at  last  he  said:  "I  will 
tell  you,  lest  you  rush  upon  yo'ur  ruin  unawares.  The 
oracle  in  Delphi  has  said,  that  a  man  wearing  one  sandal 


240  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

should  take  the  kingdom  from  Pelias,  and  keep  it  for 
himself.  Therefore  beware  how  you  go  up  to  his  palace, 
for  he  is  the  fiercest  and  most  cunning  of  all  kings." 

Then  Jason  laughed  a  great  laugh,  like  a  war  horse 
in  his  pride:  "  Good  news,  good  father,  both  for  you  and 
me.  For  that  very  end  I  came  into  the  town." 

Then  he  strode  on  toward  the  palace  of  Pelias,  while 
all  the  people  wondered  at  his  bearing. 

And  he  stood  in  the  doorway  and  cried,  "Come  out, 
come  out,  Pelias  the  valiant,  and  fight  for  your  kingdom 
like  a  man." 

Pelias  came  out  wondering,  and  "Who  are  you,  bold 
youth?"  he  cried. 

"I  am  Jason,  the  son  of  y£son,  the  heir  of  all  this  land." 

Then  Pelias  lifted  up  his  hands  and  eyes,  and  wept, 
or  seemed  to  weep;  and  blessed  the  heavens  which  had 
brought  his  nephew  to  him,  never  to  leave  him  more. 
"For,"  said  he,  "I  have  but  three  daughters,  and  no 
son  to  be  my  heir.  You  shall  be  my  heir  then,  and  rule 
the  kingdom  after  me,  and  marry  whichsoever  of  my 
daughters  you  shall  choose;  though  a  sad  kingdom  you 
will  find  it,  and  whosoever  rules  it  a  miserable  man. 
But  come  in,  come  in,  and  feast." 

So  he  drew  Jason  in,  whether  he  would  or  not,  and 
spoke  to  him  so  lovingly  and  feasted  him  so  well,  that 
Jason's  anger  passed;  and  after  supper  his  three  cousins 
came  into  the  hall,  and  Jason  thought  that  he  should 
like  well  enough  to  have  one  of  them  for  his  wife. 

But  at  last  he  said  to  Pelias,  "Why  do  you  look  so  sad, 
my  uncle  ?  And  what  did  you  mean  just  now,  when  you 
said  that  this  was  a  doleful  kingdom,  and  its  ruler  a 
miserable  man?" 

Then  Pelias  sighed  heavily  again  and  again  and  again, 


The  Argonauts  241 

like  a  man  who  had  to  tell  some  dreadful  story  and  was 
afraid  to  begin;  but  at  last: 

"For  seven  long  years  and  more  have  I  never  known  a 
quiet  night ;  and  no  more  will  he  who  comes  after  me,  till 
the  golden  fleece  be  brought  home." 

Then  he  told  Jason  the  story  of  Phrixus,  and  of  the 
golden  fleece;  and  told  him,  too,  which  was  a  lie,  that 
Phrixus's  spirit  tormented  him,  calling  to  him  day  and 
night.  And  his  daughters  came,  and  told  the  same  tale 
(for  their  father  had  taught  them  their  parts)  and  wept, 
and  said,  "Oh,  who  will  bring  home  the  golden  fleece, 
that  our  uncle's  spirit  may  have  rest;  and  that  we  may 
have  rest  also,  whom  he  never  lets  sleep  in  peace?" 

Jason  sat  awhile,  sad  and  silent ;  for  he  had  often  heard 
of  that  golden  fleece;  but  he  looked  on  it  as  a  thing  hope 
less  and  impossible  for  any  mortal  man  to  win  it. 

But  when  Pelias  saw  him  silent,  he  began  to  talk  of 
other  things,  and  courted  Jason  more  and  more,  speaking 
to  him  as  if  he  was  certain  to  be  his  heir,  and  asking  his 
advice  about  the  kingdom;  till  Jason  who  was  young  and 
simple,  could  not  help  saying  to  himself,  "Surely  he  is 
not  the  dark  man  whom  people  call  him.  Yet  why  did 
he  drive  my  father  out?"  And  he  asked  Pelias  boldly, 
"Men  say  that  you  are  terrible,  and  a  man  of  blood; 
but  I  find  you  a  kind  and  hospitable  man;  and  as  you 
are  to  me,  so  will  I  be  to  you.  Yet  why  did  you  drive 
my  father  out?" 

Pelias  smiled  and  sighed:  "Men  have  slandered  me 
in  that,  as  in  all  things.  Your  father  was  growing  old 
and  weary,  and  he  gave  the  kingdom  up  to  me  of  his 
own  will.  You  shall  see  him  to-morrow,  and  ask  him; 
and  he  will  tell  you  the  same." 

Jason's  heart  leapt  in  him,  when  he  heard  that  he 


242  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

was  to  see  his  father;  and  he  believed  all  that  Pelias  said, 
forgetting  that  his  father  might  not  dare  to  tell  the  truth. 

"One  thing  more  there  is,"  said  Pelias,  "on  which 
I  need  your  advice;  for  though  you  are  young,  I  see  in  you 
a  wisdom  beyond  your  years.  There  is  one  neighbour  of , 
mine,  whom  I  dread  more  than  all  men  on  earth.  I  am 
stronger  than  he  now,  and  can  command  him;  but  I  know 
that  if  he  stay  among  us,  he  will  work  my  ruin  in  the  end. 
Can  you  give  me  a  plan,  Jason,  by  which  I  can  rid  myself 
of  that  man?" 

After  awhile,  Jason  answered,  half  laughing,  "Were 
I  you,  I  would  send  him  to  fetch  that  same  golden  fleece; 
for  if  he  once  set  forth  after  it  you  would  never  be  troubled 
with  him  more." 

And  at  that  a  bitter  smile  came  across  Pelias's  lips,  and 
a  flash  of  wicked  joy  into  his  eyes ;  and  Jason  saw  it,  and 
started;  and  over  his  mind  came  the  warning  of  the  old 
man,  and  his  own  one  sandal,  and  the  oracle,  and  he  saw 
that  he  was  taken  in  a  trap. 

But  Pelias  only  answered  gently,  "My  son,  he  shall  be 
sent  forthwith." 

"You  mean  me?"  cried  Jason,  starting  up,  "because 
I  came  here  with  one  sandal?"  And  he  lifted  his  fist 
angrily,  while  Pelias  stood  up  to  him  like  a  wolf  at  bay; 
and  whether  of  the  two  was  the  stronger  and  the  fiercer, 
it  would  be  hard  to  tell. 

But  after  a  moment  Pelias  spoke  gently,  "Why  then  so 
rash,  my  son?  You,  and  not  I,  have  said  what  is  said; 
why  blame  me  for  what  I  have  not  done?  Had  you  bid 
me  love  the  man  of  whom  I  spoke,  and  make  him  my 
son-in-law  and  heir,  I  would  have  obeyed  you;  and  what 
if  I  obey  you  now,  and  send  the  man  to  win  himself 
immortal  fame?  I  have  not  harmed  you,  or  him.  One 


The  Argonauts  24 3 

thing  at  least  I  know,  that  he  will  go,  and  that  gladly; 
for  he  has  a  hero's  heart  within  him;  loving  glory,  and 
scorning  to  break  the  word  which  he  has  given." 

Jason  saw  that  he  was  entrapped;  but  his  second 
promise  to  Cheiron  came  into  his  mind,  and  he  thought, 
"What  if  the  Centaur  were  a  prophet  in  that  also,  and 
meant  that  I  should  win  the  fleece!"  Then  he  cried 
aloud: 

"You  have  well  spoken,  cunning  uncle  of  mine! 
I  love  glory,  and  I  dare  keep  to  my  word.  I  will  go  and 
fetch  this  golden  fleece.  Promise  me  but  this  in  return, 
and  keep  your  word  as  I  keep  mine.  Treat  my  father 
lovingly  while  I  am  gone,  for  the  sake  of  the  all-seeing 
Zeus;  and  give  me  up  the  kingdom  for  my  own,  on  the 
day  that  I  bring  back  the  golden  fleece." 

Then  Pelias  looked  at  him  and  almost  loved  him,  in 
the  midst  of  all  his  hate;  and  said,  "I  promise,  and  I  will 
perform.  It  will  be  no  shame  to  give  up  my  kingdom 
to  the  man  who  wins  that  fleece." 

Then  they  swore  a  great  oath  between  them ;  and  after 
ward  both  went  in,  and  lay  down  to  sleep. 

But  Jason  could  not  sleep,  for  thinking  of  his  mighty 
oath,  and  how  he  was  to  fulfil  it,  all  alone,  and  without 
wealth  or  friends.  So  he  tossed  a  long  time  upon  his 
bed,  and  thought  of  this  plan  and  of  that;  and  sometimes 
Phrixus  seemed  to  call  him,  in  a  thin  voice,  faint  and 
low,  as  if  it  came  from  far  across  the  sea,  "Let  me  come 
home  to  my  fathers  and  have  rest."  And  sometimes  he 
seemed  to  see  the  eyes  of  Hera,  and  to  hear  her  words 
again,  "Call  on  me  in  the  hour  of  need,  and  see  if  the 
Immortals  can  forget." 

And  on  the  morrow  he  went  to  Pelias,  and  said, 
"  Give  me  a  victim,  that  I  may  sacrifice  to  Hera."  So  he 


244  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

went  up,  and  offered  his  sacrifice;  and  as  he  stood  by 
the  altar,  Hera  sent  a  thought  into  his  mind;  and  he 
went  back  to  Pelias,  and  said: 

"If  you  are  indeed  in  earnest,  give  me  two  heralds, 
that  they  may  go  round  to  all  the  princes  of  the  Minuai 
who  were  pupils  of  the  Centaur  with  me,  that  we  may 
fit  out  a  ship  together,  and  take  what  shall  befall." 

At  that  Pelias  praised  his  wisdom,  and  hastened  to 
send  the  heralds  out;  for  he  said  in  his  heart:  "Let  all 
the  princes  go  with  him,  and  like  him,  never  return; 
for  so  I  shall  be  lord  of  all  the  Minuai,  and  the  greatest 
king  in  Hellas." 

PART  III 

How  They  Built  the  Ship  Argo  in  lolcos 

So  the  heralds  went  out,  and  cried  to  all  the  heroes  of 
the  Minuai,  "Who  dare  come  to  the  adventure  of  the 
golden  fleece?" 

And  Hera  stirred  the  hearts  of  all  the  princes,  and  they 
came  from  all  their  valleys  to  the  yellow  sands  of  Pagasai. 
And  first  came  Heracles  the  mighty,  with  his  lion's  skin 
and  club,  and  behind  him  Hylas  his  young  squire,  who 
bore  his  arrows  and  his  bow;  and  Tiphys,  the  skilful 
steersman;  and  Butes,  the  fairest  of  all  men;  and  Castor 
and  Polydeuces  the  twins,  the  sons  of  the  magic  swan; 
and  Caineus,  the  strongest  of  mortals,  whom  the  Centaurs 
tried  in  vain  to  kill,  and  overwhelmed  him  with  trunks 
of  pine  trees,  but  even  so  he  would  not  die;  and  thither 
came  Zetes  and  Calais,  the  winged  sons  of  the  north 
wind;  and  Peleus,  the  father  of  Achilles,  whose  bride 
was  silver-footed  Thetis  the  goddess  of  the  sea.  And 


The  Argonauts  24$ 

thither  came  Telamon  and  Oileus,  the  fathers  of  the 
two  Aiantes,  who  fought  upon  the  plains  of  Troy;  and 
Mopsus,  the  wise  soothsayer,  who  knew  the  speech  of 
birds;  and  Idmon,  to  whom  Phcebus  gave  a  tongue  to 
prophesy  of  things  to  come;  and  Ancaios,  who  could 
read  the  stars,  and  knew  all  the  circles  of  the  heavens; 
and  Argus,  the  famed  shipbuilder,  and  many  a  hero 
more,  in  helmets  of  brass  and  gold  with  tall  dyed  horse 
hair  crests,  and  embroidered  shirts  of  linen  beneath  their 
coats  of  mail,  and  greaves  of  polished  tin  to  guard  their 
knees  in  fight;  with  each  man  his  shield  upon  his  shoulder, 
of  many  a  fold  of  tough  bull's  hide,  and  his  sword  of 
tempered  bronze  in  his  silver-studded  belt,  and  in  his 
right  hand  a  pair  of  lances,  of  the  heavy  white-ash  stave. 

So  they  came  down  to  lolcos,  and  all  the  city  came  out 
to  meet  them,  and  were  never  tired  with  looking  at  their 
height,  and  their  beauty,  and  their  gallant  bearing,  and 
the  glitter  of  their  inlaid  arms.  And  some  said,  "Never 
was  such  a  gathering  of  the  heroes  since  the  Hellenes 
conquered  the  land."  But  the  women  sighed  over 
them,  and  whispered,  "Alas!  they  are  all  going  to  the 
death." 

Then  they  felled  the  pines  on  Pelion,  and  shaped 
them  with  the  axe,  and  Argus  taught  them  to  build  a 
galley,  the  first  long  ship  which  ever  sailed  the  seas. 
They  pierced  her  for  fifty  oars,  an  oar  for  each  hero  of 
the  crew,  and  pitched  her  with  coal-black  pitch,  and 
painted  her  bows  with  vermilion;  and  they  named  her 
Argo  after  Argus,  and  worked  at  her  all  day  long.  And 
at  night  Pelias  feasted  them  like  a  king,  and  they  slept  in 
his  palace  porch. 

But  Jason  went  away  to  the  northward,  and  into  the 
land  of  Thrace,  till  he  found  Orpheus,  the  prince  of 


246  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

minstrels,  where  he  dwelt  in  his  cave  under  Rhodope, 
among  the  savage  Cicon  tribes.  And  he  asked  him: 
"Will  you  leave  your  mountains,  Orpheus,  my  fellow 
scholar  in  old  times,  and  cross  Strymon  once  more  with 
me,  to  sail  with  the  heroes  of  the  Minuai,  and  bring 
home  the  golden  fleece,  and  charm  for  us  all  men  and  all 
monsters  with  your  magic  harp  and  song  ? " 

Then  Orpheus  sighed:  "Have  I  not  had  enough  of 
toil  and  of  weary  wandering  far  and  wide,  since  I  lived  in 
Cheiron's  cave,  above  lolcos  by  the  sea?  In  vain  is  the 
skill  and  the  voice  which  my  goddess  mother  gave  me; 
in  vain  have  I  sung  and  laboured;  in  vain  I  went  down  to 
the  dead,  and  charmed  all  the  kings  of  Hades,  to  win 
back  Eurydice  my  bride.  For  I  won  her,  my  beloved, 
and  lost  her  again  the  same  day,  and  wandered  away  in 
my  madness,  even  to  Egypt  and  the  Libyan  sands,  and 
the  isles  of  all  the  seas,  driven  on  by  the  terrible  gadfly, 
while  I  charmed  in  vain  the  hearts  of  men,  and  the 
savage  forest  beasts,  and  the  trees,  and  the  lifeless 
stones,  with  my  magic  harp  and  song,  giving  rest,  but 
finding  none.  But  at  last  Calliope,  my  mother,  de 
livered  me,  and  brought  me  home  in  peace;  and  I  dwell 
here  in  the  cave  alone,  among  the  savage  Cicon  tribes, 
softening  their  wild  hearts  with  music  and  the  gentle 
laws  of  Zeus.  And  now  I  must  go  out  again,  to  the 
ends  of  all  the  earth,  far  away  into  the  misty  darkness,  to 
the  last  wave  of  the  Eastern  Sea.  But  what  is  doomed 
must  be,  and  a  friend's  demand  obeyed;  for  prayers  are 
the  daughters  of  Zeus,  and  who  honours  them  honours 
him." 

Then  Orpheus  rose  up  sighing,  and  took  his  harp,  and 
went  over  Strymon.  And  he  led  Jason  to  the  southwest, 
up  the  banks  of  Haliacmon  and  over  the  spurs  of  Pindus, 


The  Argonauts  247 

to  Dodona  the  town  of  Zeus,  where  it  stood  by  the  side  of 
the  sacred  lake,  and  the  fountain  which  breathed  out 
fire,  in  the  darkness  of  the  ancient  oak  wood,  beneath 
the  mountain  of  the  hundred  springs.  And  he  led  him 
to  the  holy  oak,  where  the  black  dove  settled  in  old  times, 
and  was  changed  into  the  priestess  of  Zeus,  and  gave 
oracles  to  all  nations  round.  And  he  bade  him  cut  down 
a  bough,  and  sacrifice  to  Hera  and  to  Zeus;  and  they 
took  the  bough  and  came  to  lolcos,  and  nailed  it  to 
the  beak  head  of  the  ship. 

And  at  last  the  ship  was  finished,  and  they  tried  to 
launch  her  down  the  beach;  but  she  was  too  heavy  for 
them  to  move  her,  and  her  keel  sank  deep  in  the  sand. 
Then  all  the  heroes  looked  at  each  other  blushing; 
but  Jason  spoke,  and  said,  "Let  us  ask  the  magic  bough; 
perhaps  it  can  help  us  in  our  need." 

Then  a  voice  came  from  the  bough,  and  Jason  heard 
the  words  it  said,  and  bade  Orpheus  play  upon  the  harp, 
while  the  heroes  waited  round,  holding  the  pine-trunk 
rollers,  to  help  her  toward  the  sea. 

Then  Orpheus  took  his  harp,  and  began  his  magic 
song:  "How  sweet  it  is  to  ride  upon  the  surges,  and  to 
leap  from  wave  to  wave,  while  the  wind  sings  cheerful 
in  the  cordage,  and  the  oars  flash  fast  among  the  foam! 
How  sweet  it  is  to  roam  across  the  ocean,  and  see  new 
towns  and  wondrous  lands,  and  to  come  home  laden 
with  treasure,  and  to  win  undying  fame!" 

And  the  good  ship  Argo  heard  him,  and  longed  to  be 
away  and  out  at  sea;  till  she  stirred  in  every  timber,  and 
heaved  from  stem  to  stern,  and  leapt  up  from  the  sand 
upon  the  rollers,  and  plunged  onward  like  a  gallant  horse; 
and  the  heroes  fed  her  path  with  pine  trunks,  till  she 
rushed  into  the  whispering  sea. 


248  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

Then  they  stored  her  well  with  food  and  water,  and 
pulled  the  ladder  up  on  board,  and  settled  themselves 
each  man  to  his  oar,  and  kept  time  to  Orpheus's  harp; 
and  away  across  the  bay  they  rowed  southward,  while 
the  people  lined  the  cliffs ;  and  the  women  wept  while  the 
men  shouted,  at  the  starting  of  that  gallant  crew. 


PART  IV 

How  the  Argonauts  Sailed  to  Colchis 

AND  what  happened  next,  my  children,  whether  it  be 
true  or  not,  stands  written  in  ancient  songs,  which  you 
shall  read  for  yourselves  some  day.  And  grand  old 
songs  they  are,  written  in  grand  old  rolling  verse;  and 
they  call  them  the  Songs  of  Orpheus,  or  the  Orphics,  to 
this  day.  And  they  tell  how  the  heroes  came  to  Aphetai, 
across  the  bay,  and  waited  for  the  southwest  wind,  and 
chose  themselves  a  captain  from  their  crew:  and  how  all 
called  for  Heracles,  because  he  was  the  strongest  and 
most  huge;  but  Heracles  refused,  and  called  for  Jason, 
because  he  was  the  wisest  of  them  all.  So  Jason  was 
chosen  captain:  and  Orpheus  heaped  a  pile  of  wood 
and  slew  a  bull,  and  offered  it  to  Hera,  and  called  all  the 
heroes  to  stand  round,  each  man's  head  crowned  with 
olive,  and  to  strike  their  swords  into  the  bull.  Then  he 
filled  a  golden  goblet  with  the  bull's  blood,  and  with 
wheaten  flour,  and  honey,  and  wine,  and  the  bitter  salt 
sea  water,  and  bade  the  heroes  taste.  So  each  tasted  the 
goblet,  and  passed  it  round,  and  vowed  an  awful  vow;  and 
they  vowed  before  the  sun,  and  the  night,  and  the  blue- 
haired  sea  who  shakes  the  land,  to  stand  by  Jason  faith- 


The  Argonauts  249 

fully,  in  the  adventure  of  the  golden  fleece;  and  whosoever 
shrank  back,  or  disobeyed,  or  turned  traitor  to  his  vow, 
then  justice  should  witness  against  him,  and  the  Erinnes 
who  track  guilty  men. 

Then  Jason  lighted  the  pile,  and  burnt  the  carcass  of 
the  bull;  and  they  went  to  their  ship  and  sailed  eastward, 
like  men  who  have  a  work  to  do;  and  the  place  from 
which  they  went  was  called  Aphetai,  the  sailing  place, 
from  that  day  forth.  Three  thousand  years  ago  and 
more  they  sailed  away,  into  the  unknown  Eastern  seas ;  and 
great  nations  have  come  and  gone  since  then,  and  many 
a  storm  has  swept  the  earth;  and  many  a  mighty  arma 
ment,  to  which  Argo  would  be  but  one  small  boat,  have 
sailed  those  waters  since;  yet  the  fame  of  that  small  Argo 
lives  forever,  and  her  name  is  become  a  proverb  among 
men. 

So  they  sailed  past  the  Isle  of  Sciathos,  with  the  Cape 
of  Sepius  on  their  left,  and  turned  to  the  northward 
toward  Pelion,  up  the  long  Magnesian  shore.  On  their 
right  hand  was  the  open  sea,  and  on  their  left  old  Pelion 
rose,  while  the  clouds  crawled  round  his  dark  pine  forests, 
and  his  caps  of  summer  snow.  And  their  hearts  yearned 
for  the  dear  old  mountain,  as  they  thought  of  pleasant 
days  gone  by,  and  of  the  sports  of  their  boyhood,  and 
their  hunting,  and  their  schooling  in  the  cave  beneath 
the  cliff.  And  at  last  Peleus  spoke:  "Let  us  land  here, 
friends,  and  climb  the  dear  old  hill  once  more.  We 
are  going  on  a  fearful  journey:  who  knows  if  we  shall  see 
Pelion  again  ?  Let  us  go  up  to  Cheiron  our  master,  and 
ask  his  blessing  ere  we  start.  And  I  have  a  boy,  too, 
with  him,  whom  he  trains  as  he  trained  me  once,  the  son 
whom  Thetis  brought  me,  the  silver-footed  lady  of  the 
sea,  whom  I  caught  in  the  cave,  and  tamed  her  though 


250  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

she  changed  her  shape  seven  times.  For  she  changed,  as 
I  held  her,  into  water,  and  to  vapour,  and  to  burning 
flame,  and  to  a  rock,  and  to  a  black-maned  lion,  and  to  a 
tall  and  stately  tree.  But  I  held  her  and  held  her  ever 
till  she  took  her  own  shape  again,  and  led  her  to  my 
father's  house,  and  won  her  for  my  bride.  And  all  the 
rulers  of  Olympus  came  to  our  wedding,  and  the  heavens 
and  the  earth  rejoiced  together,  when  an  immortal 
wedded  mortal  man.  And  now  let  me  see  my  son;  for 
it  is  not  often  I  shall  see  him  upon  earth ;  famous  he  will 
be,  but  short  lived,  and  die  in  the  flower  of  youth." 

So  Tiphys,  the  helmsman,  steered  them  to  the  shore 
under  the  crags  of  Pelion;  and  they  went  up  through  the 
the  dark  pine  forests  toward  the  Centaur's  cave. 

And  they  came  into  the  misty  hall,  beneath  the  snow- 
crowned  crag;  and  saw  the  great  Centaur  lying  with  his 
huge  limbs  spread  upon  the  rock;  and  beside  him  stood 
Achilles,  the  child  whom  no  steel  could  wound,  and 
played  upon  his  harp  right  sweetly,  while  Cheiron  watched 
and  smiled. 

Then  Cheiron  leapt  up  and  welcomed  them,  and  kissed 
them  every  one,  and  set  a  feast  before  them,  of  swine's 
flesh,  and  venison,  and  good  wine;  and  young  Achilles 
served  them,  and  carried  the  golden  goblet  round. 
And  after  supper  all  the  heroes  clapped  their  hands,  and 
called  on  Orpheus  to  sing;  but  he  refused,  and  said, 
"How  can  I,  who  am  the  younger,  sing  before  our 
ancient  host?"  So  they  called  on  Cheiron  to  sing,  and 
Achilles  brought  him  his  harp;  and  he  began  a  wondrous 
song;  a  famous  story  of  old  time,  of  the  fight  between 
Centaurs  and  the  Lapithai,  which  you  may  still  see  carved 
in  stone.  He  sang  how  his  brothers  came  to  ruin  by 
their  folly,  when  they  were  mad  with  wine;  and  how  they 


The  Argonauts  251 

and  the  heroes  fought,  with  fists,  and  teeth,  and  the 
goblets  from  which  they  drank;  and  how  they  tore  up 
the  pine  trees  in  their  fury,  and  hurled  great  crags  of 
stone,  while  the  mountains  thundered  with  the  battle, 
and  the  land  was  wasted  far  and  wide;  till  the  Lapithai 
drove  them  from  their  home  in  the  rich  Thessalian  plains 
to  the  lonely  glens  of  Pindus,  leaving  Cheiron  all  alone. 
And  the  heroes  praised  his  song  right  heartily;  for  some 
of  them  had  helped  in  that  great  fight. 

Then  Orpheus  took  the  lyre,  and  sang  of  Chaos,  and 
the  making  of  the  wondrous  World,  and  how  all  things 
sprang  from  Love,  who  could  not  live  alone  in  the 
Abyss.  And  as  he  sang,  his  voice  rose  from  the  cave, 
above  the  crags,  and  through  the  tree  tops,  and  the  glens 
of  oak  and  pine.  And  the  trees  bowed  their  heads 
when  they  heard  it,  and  the  gray  rocks  cracked  and  rang, 
and  the  forest  beasts  crept  near  to  listen,  and  the  birds 
forsook  their  nests  and  hovered  round.  And  old  Cheiron 
clapt  his  hands  together,  and  beat  his  hoofs  upon  the 
ground,  for  wonder  at  that  magic  song. 

Then  Peleus  kissed  his  boy,  and  wept  over  him,  and 
they  went  down  to  the  ship ;  and  Cheiron  came  down  with 
them,  weeping,  and  kissed  them  one  by  one,  and  blest 
them,  and  promised  to  them  great  renown.  And  the 
heroes  wept  when  they  left  him,  till  their  great  hearts 
could  weep  no  more;  for  he  was  kind  and  just  and  pious, 
and  wiser  than  all  beasts  and  men.  Then  he  went  up  to 
a  cliff,  and  prayed  for  them,  that  they  might  come  home 
safe  and  well ;  while  the  heroes  rowed  away,  and  watched 
him  standing  on  his  cliff  above  the  sea,  with  his  great 
hands  raised  toward  heaven,  and  his  white  locks  waving 
in  the  wind;  and  they  strained  their  eyes  to  watch  him  to 
the  last,  for  they  felt  that  they  should  look  on  him  no  more. 


252  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

So  they  rowed  on  over  the  long  swell  of  the  sea,  past 
Olympus,  the  seat  of  the  immortals,  and  past  the  wooded 
bays  of  Athos,  and  Samothrace,  the  sacred  isle ;  and  they 
came  past  Lemnos  to  the  Hellespont,  and  through  the 
narrow  strait  of  Abydos,  and  so  on  into  the  Propontis, 
which  we  call  Marmora  now.  And  there  they  met  with 
Cyzicus,  ruling  in  Asia  over  the  Dolions,  who,  the  songs 
say,  was  the  son  of  ^Eneas,  of  whom  you  will  hear  many 
a  tale  some  day.  For  Homer  tells  us  how  he  fought  at 
Troy;  and  Virgil  how  he  sailed  away  and  founded  Rome; 
and  men  believed  until  late  years  that  from  him  sprang 
the  old  British  kings.  Now  Cyzicus,  the  songs  say, 
welcomed  the  heroes;  for  his  father  had  been  one  of 
Cheiron's  scholars;  so  he  welcomed  them,  and  feasted 
them,  and  stored  their  ship  with  corn  and  wine,  and 
cloaks  and  rugs,  the  songs  say,  and  shirts,  of  which  no 
doubt  they  stood  in  need. 

But  at  night,  while  they  lay  sleeping,  came  down  on 
them  terrible  men,  who  lived  with  the  bears  in  the  moun 
tains,  like  Titans  or  giants  in  shape;  for  each  of  them 
had  six  arms,  and  they  fought  with  young  firs  and  pines. 
But  Heracles  killed  them  all  before  morn  with  his  deadly 
poisoned  arrows;  but  among  them,  in  the  darkness,  he 
slew  Cyzicus  the  kindly  prince. 

Then  they  got  to  their  ship  and  to  their  oars,  and 
Tiphys  bade  them  cast  off  the  hawsers,  and  go  to  sea. 
But  as  he  spoke  a  whirlwind  came,  and  spun  the  Argo 
round,  and  twisted  the  hawsers  together,  so  that  no  man 
could  loose  them.  Then  Tiphys  dropped  the  rudder 
from  his  hand,  and  cried,  "This  comes  from  the  Gods 
above."  But  Jason  went  forward,  and  asked  counsel  of 
the  magic  bough. 

Then  the  magic  bough  spoke  and  answered:  "This  is 


The  Argonauts  253 

because  you  have  slain  Cyzicus  your  friend.  You  must 
appease  his  soul,  or  you  will  never  leave  this  shore." 

Jason  went  back  sadly,  and  told  the  heroes  what  he 
had  heard.  And  they  leapt  on  shore,  and  searched  till 
dawn;  and  at  dawn  they  found  the  body,  all  rolled  in  dust 
and  blood,  among  the  corpses  of  those  monstrous  beasts. 
And  they  wept  over  their  kind  host,  and  laid  him  on  a 
fair  bed,  and  heaped  a  huge  mound  over  him,  and  offered 
black  sheep  at  his  tomb,  and  Orpheus  sang  a  magic 
song  to  him,  that 'his  spirit  might  have  rest.  And  then 
they  held  games  at  the  tomb,  after  the  custom  of  those 
times,  and  Jason  gave  prizes  to  each  winner.  To  Ancaeus 
he  gave  a  golden  cup,  for  he  wrestled  best  of  all;  and  to 
Heracles  a  silver  one,  for  he  was  the  strongest  of  all; 
and  to  Castor,  who  rode  best,  a  golden  crest;  and  Poly- 
deuces  the  boxer  had  a  rich  carpet,  and  to  Orpheus  for 
his  song,  a  sandal  with  golden  wings.  But  Jason  himself 
was  the  best  of  all  the  archers,  and  the  Minuai  crowned 
him  with  an  olive  crown ;  and  so,  the  songs  say,  the  soul  of 
good  Cyzicus  was  appeased,  and  the  heroes  went  on  their 
way  in  peace. 

But  when  Cyzicus's  wife  heard  that  he  was  dead,  she 
died  likewise  of  grief;  and  her  tears  became  a  fountain 
of  clear  water,  which  flows  the  whole  year  round. 

Then  they  rowed  away,  the  songs  say,  along  the  Mysian 
shore,  and  past  the  mouth  of  Rhindacus,  till  they  found  a 
pleasant  bay,  sheltered  by  the  long  ridges  of  Arganthus, 
and  by  high  walls  of  basalt  rock.  And  there  they  ran 
the  ship  ashore  upon  the  yellow  sand,  and  furled  the  sail, 
and  took  the  mast  down,  and  lashed  it  in  its  crutch.  And 
next  they  let  down  the  ladder,  and  went  ashore  to  sport 
and  rest. 

And  there  Heracles  went  away  into  the  woods,  bow  in 


254  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

hand,  to  hunt  wild  deer;  and  Hylas  the  fair  boy  slipt  away 
after  him,  and  followed  him  by  stealth,  until  he  lost 
himself  among  the  glens,  and  sat  down  weary  to  rest 
himself  by  the  side  of  a  lake ;  and  there  the  water  nymphs 
came  up  to  look  at  him,  and  loved  him,  and  carried  him 
down  under  the  lake  to  be  their  playfellow,  forever  happy 
and  young.  And  Heracles  sought  for  him  in  vain,  shout 
ing  his  name  till  all  the  mountains  rang;  but  Hylas  never 
heard  him,  far  down  under  the  sparkling  lake.  So  while 
Heracles  wandered  searching  for  him,  a  fair  breeze 
sprang  up,  and  Heracles  was  nowhere  to  be  found;  and 
the  Argo  sailed  away,  and  Heracles  was  left  behind,  and 
never  saw  the  noble  Phasian  stream. 

Then  the  Minuai  came  to  a  doleful  land,  where  Amycus 
the  giant  ruled,  and  cared  nothing  for  the  laws  of  Zeus,  but 
challenged  all  strangers  to  box  with  him,  and  those 
whom  he  conquered  he  slew.  But  Polydeuces  the 
boxer  struck  him  a  harder  blow  than  he  ever  felt  before, 
and  slew  him;  and  the  Minuai  went  on  up  the  Bosphorus, 
till  they  came  to  the  city  of  Phineus,  the  fierce  Bithynian 
king;  for  Zetes  and  Calais  bade  Jason  land  there,  because 
they  had  a  work  to  do. 

And  they  went  up  from  the  shore  toward  the  city, 
through  forests  white  with  snow;  and  Phineus  came  out  to 
meet  them  with  a  lean  and  woeful  face,  and  said,  "Wel 
come,  gallant  heroes,  to  the  land  of  bitter  blasts,  a  land 
of  cold  and  misery;  yet  I  will  feast  you  as  best  I  can." 
And  he  led  them  in,  and  set  meat  before  them ;  but  before 
they  could  put  their  hands  to  their  mouths,  down  came 
two  fearful  monsters,  the  like  of  whom  man  never  saw; 
for  they  had  the  faces  and  the  hair  of  fair  maidens,  but 
the  wings  and  claws  of  hawks;  and  they  snatched  the  meat 
from  off  the  table,  and  flew  shrieking  out  above  the  roofs, 


The  Argonauts  25$ 

Then  Phineus  beat  his  breast  and  cried,  "These  are 
the  Harpies,  whose  names  are  the  Whirlwind  and  the 
Swift,  the  daughters  of  Wonder  and  of  the  Amber  nymph, 
and  they  rob  us  night  and  day.  They  carried  off  the 
daughters  of  Pandareus,  whom  all  the  Gods  had  blest; 
for  Aphrodite  fed  them  on  Olympus  with  honey  and 
milk  and  wine;  and  Hera  gave  them  beauty  and  wisdom, 
and  Athene  skill  in  all  the  arts;  but  when  they  came  to 
their  wedding,  the  Harpies  snatched  them  both  away, 
and  gave  them  to  be  slaves  to  the  Erinnues,  and  live  in 
horror  all  their  days.  And  now  they  haunt  me,  and  my 
people,  and  the  Bosphorus,  with  fearful  storms;  and 
sweep  away  our  food  from  off  our  tables,  so  that  we 
starve  in  spite  of  all  our  wealth." 

Then  up  rose  Zetes  and  Calais,  the  winged  sons  of  the 
North  wind,  and  said,  "Do  you  not  know  us,  Phineus, 
and  these  wings  which  grow  upon  our  backs?"  And 
Phineus  hid  his  face  in  terror;  but  he  answered  not  a 
word. 

"Because  you  have  been  a  traitor,  Phineus,  the  Harpies 
haunt  you  night  and  day.  Where  is  Cleopatra  our  sister, 
your  wife,  whom  you  keep  in  prison?  and  where  are  her 
two  children,  whom  you  blinded  in  your  rage,  at  the  bid 
ding  of  an  evil  woman,  and  cast  them  out  upon  the  rocks  ? 
Swear  to  us  that  you  will  right  our  sister,  and  cast  out  that 
wicked  woman;  and  then  we  will  free  you  from  your 
plague,  and  drive  the  whirlwind  maidens  from  the  south; 
but  if  not,  we  will  put  out  your  eyes,  as  you  put  out  the 
eyes  of  your  own  sons." 

Then  Phineus  swore  an  oath  to  them,  and  drove  out 
the  wicked  woman;  and  Jason  took  those  two  poor  chil 
dren,  and  cured  their  eyes  with  magic  herbs. 

But  Zetes  and  Calais  rose  up  sadly,  and  said:    "Fare- 


256  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

well  now,  heroes  all;  farewell,  our  dear  companions,  with 
whom  we  played  on  Pelion  in  old  times;  for  a  fate  is 
laid  upon  us,  and  our  day  is  come  at  last,  in  which  we  may 
hunt  the  whirlwinds,  over  land  and  sea  forever;  and  if  we 
catch  them  they  die,  and  if  not,  we  die  ourselves." 

At  that  all  the  heroes  wept;  but  the  two  young  men 
sprang  up,  and  aloft  into  the  air  after  the  Harpies,  and 
the  battle  of  the  winds  began. 

The  heroes  trembled  in  silence  as  they  heard  the  shriek 
ing  of  the  blasts;  while  the  palace  rocked  and  all  the  city, 
and  great  stones  were  torn  from  the  crags,  and  the  forest 
pines  were  hurled  eastward,  north  and  south  and  east  and 
west,  and  the  Bosphorus  boiled  white  with  foam,  and  the 
clouds  were  dashed  against  the  cliffs. 

But  at  last  the  battle  ended,  and  the  Harpies  fled 
screaming  toward  the  south,  and  the  sons  of  the  North 
wind  rushed  after  them,  and  brought  clear  sunshine 
where  they  passed.  For  many  a  league  they  followed 
them,  over  all  the  isles  of  the  Cyclades,  and  away  to  the 
southwest  across  Hellas,  till  they  came  to  the  Ionian 
Sea,  and  there  they  fell  upon  the  Echinades,  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Achelous;  and  those  isles  were  called  the  Whirlwind 
Isles  for  many  a  hundred  years.  But  what  became  of 
Zetes  and  Calais  I  know  not;  for  the  heroes  never  saw 
them  again;  and  some  say  that  Heracles  met  them,  and 
quarrelled  with  them,  and  slew  them  with  his  arrows; 
and  some  say  that  they  fell  down  from  weariness  and  the 
heat  of  the  summer  sun,  and  that  the  Sun  god  buried 
them  among  the  Cyclades,  in  the  pleasant  Isle  of  Tenos; 
and  for  many  hundred  years  their  grave  was  shown  there, 
and  over  it  a  pillar,  which  .turned  to  every  wind.  But 
those  dark  storms  and  whirlwinds  haunt  the  Bosphorus 
until  this  day. 


The  Argonauts  257 

But  the  Argonauts  went  eastward,  and  out  into  the 
open  sea,  which  we  now  call  the  Black  Sea,  but  it  was 
called  the  Euxine  then.  No  Hellen  had  ever  crossed  it, 
and  all  feared  that  dreadful  sea,  and  its  rocks,  and 
shoals,  and  fogs,  and  bitter  freezing  storms;  and  they  told 
strange  stories  of  it,  some  false  and  some  half  true,  how  it 
stretched  northward  to  the  ends  of  the  earth,  and  the 
sluggish  Putrid  Sea,  and  the  everlasting  night,  and  the 
regions  of  the  dead.  So  the  heroes  trembled,  for  all  their 
courage,  as  they  came  into  that  wild  Black  Sea,  and  saw 
it  stretching  out  before  them,  without  a  shore,  as  far  as 
eye  could  see. 

And  first  Orpheus  spoke,  and  warned  them:  "We 
shall  come  now  to  the  wandering  blue  rocks;  my  mother 
warned  me  of  them,  Calliope,  the  immortal  muse." 

And  soon  they  saw  the  blue  rocks  shining,  like  spires 
and  castles  of  gray  glass,  while  an  ice-cold  wind  blew  from 
them,  and  chilled  all  the  heroes'  hearts.  And  as  they 
neared,  they  could  see  them  heaving,  as  they  rolled  upon 
the  long  sea  waves,  crashing  and  grinding  together,  till  the 
roar  went  up  to  heaven.  The  sea  sprang  up  in  spouts 
between  them,  and  swept  round  them  in  white  sheets  of 
foam;  but  their  heads  swung  nodding  high  in  air,  while 
the  wind  whistled  shrill  among  the  crags. 

The  heroes'  hearts  sank  within  them,  and  they  lay 
upon  their  oars  in  fear;  but  Orpheus  called  to  Tiphys 
the  helmsman:  "Between  them  we  must  pass;  so  look 
ahead  for  an  opening,  and  be  brave,  for  Hera  is  with  us." 
But  Tiphys  the  cunning  helmsman  stood  silent,  clenching 
his  teeth,  till  he  saw  a  heron  come  flying  mast  high 
toward  the  rocks,  and  hover  awhile  before  them,  as  if 
looking  for  a  passage  through.  Then  he  cried,  "Hera 
has  sent  us  a  pilot;  let  us  follow  the  cunning  bird." 


258  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

Then  the  heron  flapped  to  and  fro  a  moment,  till  he 
saw  a  hidden  gap,  and  into  it  he  rushed  like  an  arrow, 
while  the  heroes  watched  what  would  befall. 

And  the  blue  rocks  clashed  together  as  the  bird  fled 
swiftly  through;  but  they  struck  but  a  feather  from  his 
tail,  and  then  rebounded  apart  at  the  shock. 

Then  Tiphys  cheered  the  heroes,  and  they  shouted; 
and  the  oars  bent  like  withes  beneath  their  strokes,  as 
they  rushed  between  those  toppling  ice  crags,  and  the 
cold  blue  lips  of  death.  And  ere  the  rocks  could  meet 
again  they  had  passed  them,  arid  were  safe  out  in  the  open 
sea. 

And  after  that  they  sailed  on  wearily  along  the  Asian 
coast,  by  the  Black  Cape  and  Thyneis,  where  the  hot 
stream  of  Thymbris  falls  into  the  sea,  and  Sangarius, 
whose  waters  float  on  the  Euxine,  till  they  came  to  Wolf 
the  river,  and  to  Wolf  the  kindly  king.  And  there  died 
two  brave  heroes,  Idmon  and  Tiphys  the  wise  helmsman; 
one  died  of  an  evil  sickness,  and  one  a  wild  boar  slew. 
So  the  heroes  heaped  a  mound  above  them,  and  set  upon 
it  an  oar  on  high,  and  left  them  there  to  sleep  together, 
on  the  far-off  Lycian  shore.  But  Idas  killed  the  boar,  and 
avenged  Tiphys;  and  Ancaios  took  the  rudder  and  was 
helmsman,  and  steered  them  on  toward  the  east. 

And  they  went  on  past  Sinope,  and  many  a  mighty 
river's  mouth,  and  past  many  a  barbarous  tribe,  and  the 
cities  of  the  Amazons,  the  warlike  women  of  the  East, 
till  all  night  they  heard  the  clank  of  anvils  and  the  roar 
of  furnace  blasts,  and  the  forge  fires  shone  like  sparks 
through  the  darkness,  in  the  mountain  glens  aloft;  for 
they  were  come  to  the  shores  of  the  Chalybes,  the  smiths 
who  never  tire,  but  serve  Ares  the  cruel  War  god,  forging 
weapons  day  and  night. 


The  Argonauts  25(9 

And  at  day  dawn  they  looked  eastward,  and  midway 
between  the  sea  and  the  sky  they  saw  white  snow  peaks 
hanging  glittering  sharp  and  bright  above  the  clouds. 
And  they  knew  that  they  were  come  to  Caucasus,  at  the 
end  of  all  the  earth;  Caucasus  the  highest  of  all  mountains, 
the  father  of  the  rivers  of  the  East.  On  his  peak  lies 
chained  the  Titan,  while  a  vulture  tears  his  heart;  and  at 
his  feet  are  piled  dark  forests  round  the  magic  Colchian 
land. 

And  they  rowed  three  days  to  the  eastward,  while 
Caucasus  rose  higher  hour  by  hour,  till  they  saw  the  dart 
stream  of  Phasis  rushing  headlong  to  the  sea,  and  shining 
above  the  treetops,  the  golden  roofs  of  King  Aietes,  the 
child  of  the  sun. 

Then  out  spoke  Ancaios  the  helmsman:  "We  are 
come  to  our  goal  at  last;  for  there  are  the  roofs  of  Aietes, 
and  the  woods  where  all  poisons  grow;  but  who  can  tell  us 
where  among  them  is  hid  the  golden  fleece?  Many  a 
toil  must  we  bear  ere  we  find  it,  and  bring  it  home  to 
Greece." 

But  Jason  cheered  the  heroes,  for  his  heart  was  high 
and  bold;  and  he  said:  "I  will  go  alone  up  to  Aietes, 
though  he  be  the  child  of  the  sun,  and  win  him  with  soft 
words.  Better  so  than  to  go  altogether,  and  to  come 
to  blows  at  once."  But  the  Minuai  would  not  stay 
behind,  so  they  rowed  boldly  up  the  stream. 

And  a  dream  came  to  Aietes,  and  filled  his  heart  with 
fear.  He  thought  he  saw  a  shining  star,  which  fell  into 
his  daughter's  lap ;  and  that  Medeia  his  daughter  took  it 
gladly,  and  carried  it  to  the  river  side,  and  cast  it  in,  and 
there  the  whirling  river  bore  it  down,  and  out  into  the 
Euxine  Sea. 

Then  he  leapt  up  in  fear,  and  bade  his  servants  bring 


260  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

his  chariot,  that  he  might  go  down  to  the  riverside  and 
appease  the  nymphs,  and  the  heroes  whose  spirits  haunt 
the  bank.  So  he  went  down  in  his  golden  chariot,  and 
his  daughters  by  his  side,  Medeia  the  fair  witch  maiden, 
and  Chalciope,  who  had  been  Phrixus's  wife,  and  behind 
him  a  crowd  of  servants  and  soldiers,  for  he  was  a  rich 
and  mighty  prince. 

And  as  he  drove  down  by  the  reedy  river,  he  saw  Argo 
sliding  up  beneath  the  bank,  and  many  a  hero  in  her,  like 
immortals  for  beauty  and  for  strength,  as  their  weapons 
glittered  round  them  in  the  level  morning  sunlight, 
through  the  white  mist  of  the  stream.  But  Jason  was  the 
noblest  of  all;  for  Hera  who  loved  him  gave  him  beauty, 
and  tallness,  and  terrible  manhood. 

And  when  they  came  near  together  and  looked  into 
each  other's  eyes,  the  heroes  were  awed  before  Aietes  as 
he  shone  in  his  chariot,  like  his  father  the  glorious  Sun; 
for  his  robes  were  of  rich  gold  tissue,  and  the  rays  of  his 
diadem  flashed  fire;  and  in  his  hand  he  bore  a  jewelled 
sceptre,  which  glittered  like  the  stars;  and  sternly  he 
looked  at  them  under  his  brows,  and  sternly  he  spoke  and 
loud: 

"Who  are  you,  and  what  want  you  here,  that  you 
come  to  the  shore  of  Cutaia  ?  Do  you  take  no  account  of 
my  rule,  nor  of  my  people  the  Colchians  who  serve  me, 
who  never  tired  yet  in  the  battle,  and  know  well  how  to 
face  an  invader?" 

And  the  heroes  sat  silent  awhile  before  the  face  of  that 
ancient  king.  But  Hera  the  awful  goddess  put  courage 
into  Jason's  heart,  and  he  rose  and  shouted  loudly  in 
answer:  "We  are  no  pirates,  nor  lawless  men.  We 
come  not  to  plunder  and  to  ravage,  or  carry  away  slaves 
from  your  land;  but  my  uncle,  the  son  of  Poseidon, 


The  Argonauts  261 

Pelias  the  Minuan  king,  lie  it  is  who  has  set  me  on  a 
quest  to  bring  home  the  golden  fleece.  And  these,  too,  my 
bold  comrades,  they  are  no  nameless  men;  for  some  are 
the  sons  of  immortals,  and  some  of  heroes  far  renowned. 
And  we,  too,  never  tire  in  battle,  and  know  well  how  to 
give  blows  and  to  take;  yet  we  wish  to  be  guests  at  your 
table;  it  will  be  better  so  for  both." 

Then  Aietes's  rage  rushed  up  like  a  whirlwind,  and  his 
eyes  flashed  fire  as  he  heard;  but  he  crushed  his  anger 
down  in  his  breast,  and  spoke  mildly  a  cunning  speech : 

"If  you  will  fight  for  the  fleece  with  my  Colchians,  then 
many  a  man  must  die.  But  do  you  indeed  expect  to  win 
from  me  the  fleece  in  fight  ?  So  few  you  are,  that  if  you 
be  worsted,  I  can  load  your  ship  with  your  corpses.  But 
if  you  will  be  ruled  by  me,  you  will  find  it  better  far  to 
choose  the  best  man  among  you,  and  let  him  fulfil  the 
kbours  which  I  demand.  Then  I  will  give  him  the 
golden  fleece  for  a  prize  and  a  glory  to  you  all." 

So  saying,  he  turned  his  horses  and  drove  back  in 
silence  to  the  town.  And  the  Minuai  sat  silent  with 
sorrow,  and  longed  for  Heracles  and  his  strength;  for 
there  was  no  facing  the  thousands  of  the  Colchians,  and 
the  fearful  chance  of  war. 

But  Chalciope,  Phrixus's  widow,  went  weeping  to  the 
town;  for  she  remembered  her  Minuan  husband,  and  all 
the  pleasures  of  her  youth,  while  she  watched  the  fair 
faces  of  his  kinsmen,  and  their  long  locks  of  golden  hair. 
And  she  whispered  to  Medeia  her  sister:  "Why  should 
all  these  brave  men  die?  why  does  not  my  father  give 
them  up  the  fleece,  that  my  husband's  spirit  may  have 
rest?" 

And  Medeia's  heart  pitied  the  heroes,  and  Jason 
most  of  all;  and  she  answered,  "Our  father  is  stern  and 


262  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

terrible,  and  who  can  win  the  golden  fleece?"  But 
Chalciope  said:  "These  men  are  not  like  our  men; 
there  is  nothing  which  they  cannot  dare  nor  do." 

And  Medeia  thought  of  Jason  and  his  brave  coun 
tenance,  and  said:  "If  there  was  one  among  them  who 
knew  no  fear,  I  could  show  him  how  to  win  the  fleece." 

So  in  the  dusk  of  evening  they  went  down  to  the  river 
side,  Chalciope  and  Medeia  the  witch  maiden,  and  Argus, 
Phrixus's  son.  And  Argus  the  boy  crept  forward, 
among  the  beds  of  reeds,  till  he  came  where  the  heroes 
were  sleeping,  on  the  thwarts  of  the  ship,  beneath  the 
bank,  while  Jason  kept  ward  on  shore,  and  leant  upon 
his  lance  full  of  thought.  And  the  boy  came  to  Jason, 
and  said: 

"I  am  the  son  of  Phrixus,  your  cousin;  and  Chalciope 
my  mother  waits  for  you,  to  talk  about  the  golden  fleece." 

Then  Jason  went  boldly  with  the  boy,  and  found  the 
two  princesses  standing;  and  when  Chalciope  saw  him 
she  wept,  and  took  his  hands,  and  cried: 

"O  cousin  of  my  beloved,  go  home  before  you  die!" 

"It  would  be  base  to  go  home  now,  fair  princess, 
and  to  have  sailed  all  these  seas  in  vain."  Then  both 
the  princesses  besought  him:  but  Jason  said,  "It  is 
too  late." 

"But  you  know  not,"  said  Medeia,  "what  he  must  do 
who  would  win  the  fleece.  He  must  tame  the  two  brazen- 
footed  bulls,  who  breathe  devouring  flame;  and  with 
them  he  must  plough  ere  nightfall  four  acres  in  the  field 
of  Ares;  and  he  must  sow  them  with  serpents'  teeth,  of 
which  each  tooth  springs  up  into  an  armed  man.  Then 
he  must  fight  with  all  those  warriors;  and  little  will  it 
profit  him  to  conquer  them;  for  the  fleece  is  guarded  by 
a  serpent,  more  huge  than  any  mountain  pine;  and  over 


The  Argonauts  263 

his  body  you  must  step,  if  you  would  reach  the  golden 
fleece." 

Then  Jason  laughed  bitterly.  "Unjustly  is  that  fleece 
kept  here,  and  by  an  unjust  and  lawless  king;  and  un 
justly  shall  I  die  in  my  youth,  for  I  will  attempt  it  ere 
another  sun  be  set." 

Then  Medeia  trembled,  and  said:  "No  mortal  man 
can  reach  that  fleece,  unless  I  guide  him  through.  For 
round  it,  beyond  the  river,  is  a  wall  full  nine  ells  high, 
with  lofty  towers  and  buttresses,  and  mighty  gates  of 
threefold  brass;  and  over  the  gates  the  wall  is  arched, 
with  golden  battlements  above.  And  over  the  gateway 
sits  Brimo,  the  wild  witch  huntress  of  the  woods,  brand 
ishing  a  pine  torch  in  her  hands,  while  her  mad  hounds 
howl  around.  No  man  dare  meet  her  or  look  on  her, 
but  only  I  her  priestess,  and  she  watches  far  and  wide 
lest  any  stranger  should  come  near." 

"No  wall  so  high  but  it  may  be  climbed  at  last,  and 
no  wood  so  thick  but  it  may  be  crawled  through;  no 
serpent  so  wary  but  he  may  be  charmed,  or  witch  queen 
so  fierce  but  spells  may  soothe  her;  and  I  may  yet  win 
the  golden  fleece,  if  a  wise  maiden  help  bold  men." 

And  he  looked  at  Medeia  cunningly,  and  held  her 
with  his  glittering  eye,  till  she  blushed  and  trembled,  and 
said: 

"Who  can  face  the  fire  of  the  bulls'  breath,  and  fight 
ten  thousand  armed  men?" 

"He  whom  you  help,"  said  Jason,  flattering  her,  "for 
your  fame  is  spread  over  all  the  earth.  Are  you  not  the 
queen  of  all  enchantresses,  wiser  even  than  your  sister 
Circe,  in  her  fairy  island  in  the  West?" 

"Would  that  I  were  with  my  sister  Circe  hi  her  fairy 
island  in  the  West,  far  away  from  sore  temptation,  and 


264  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

thoughts  which  tear  the  heart  1  But  if  it  must  be  so — for 
why  should  you  die  ? — I  have  an  ointment  here ;  I  made 
it  from  the  magic  ice  flower  which  sprang  from  Prome- 
theus's  wound,  above  the  clouds  on  Caucasus,  in  the 
dreary  fields  of  snow.  Anoint  yourself  with  that,  and 
you  shall  have  in  you  seven  men's  strength;  and  anoint 
your  shield  with  it,  and  neither  fire  nor  sword  can  harm 
you.  But  what  you  begin  you  must  end  before  sunset, 
for  its  virtue  lasts  only  one  day.  And  anoint  your  helmet 
with  it  before  you  sow  the  serpents'  teeth ;  and  when  the 
sons  of  earth  spring  up,  cast  your  helmet  among  their 
ranks,  and  the  deadly  crop  of  the  War-god's  field  will 
mow  itself,  and  perish." 

Then  Jason  fell  on  his  knees  before  her,  and  thanked 
her  and  kissed  her  hands;  and  she  gave  him  the  vase 
of  ointment,  and  fled  trembling  through  the  reeds.  And 
Jason  told  his  comrades  what  had  happened,  and  showed 
them  the  box  of  ointment;  and  all  rejoiced  but  Idas 
and  he  grew  mad  with  envy. 

And  at  sunrise  Jason  went  and  bathed,  and  anointed 
himself  from  head  to  foot,  and  his  shield,  and  his  helmet, 
and  his  weapons,  and  bade  his  comrades  try  the  spell. 
So  they  tried  to  bend  his  lance,  but  it  stood  like  an  iron 
bar;  and  Idas  in  spite  hewed  at  it  with  his  sword,  but 
the  blade  flew  to  splinters  in  his  face.  Then  they  hurled 
their  lances  it  his  shield,  but  the  spear  points  turned  like 
lead;  and  C'aineus  tried  to  throw  him,  but  he  never 
stirred  a  foot;  and  Polydeuces  struck  him  with  his  fist 
a  blow  which  would  have  killed  an  ox;  but  Jason  only 
smiled,  and  the  heroes  danced  about  him  with  delight; 
and  he  leapt  and  ran,  and  shouted,  in  the  joy  of  that 
enormous  strength,  till  the  sun  rose,  and  it  was  time  to 
go  and  to  claim  Aietes's  promise. 


The  Argonauts  265 

So  he  sent  up  Telamon  and  Aithalides  to  tell  Aietes 
that  he  was  ready  for  the  fight;  and  they  went  up  among 
the  marble  walls,  and  beneath  the  roofs  of  gold,  and  stood 
in  Aietes's  hall,  while  he  grew  pale  with  rage. 

"Fulfil  your  promise  to  us,  child  of  the  blazing  sun. 
Give  us  the  serpents'  teeth,  and  let  loose  the  fiery  bulls; 
for  we  have  found  a  champion  among  us  who  can  win 
the  golden  fleece." 

And  Aietes  bit  his  lips,  for  he  fancied  that  they  had 
fled  away  by  night;  but  he  could  not  go  back  from  his 
promise;  so  he  gave  them  the  serpents'  teeth. 

Then  he  called  for  his  chariot  and  his  horses,  and 
sent  heralds  through  all  the  town;  and  all  the  people 
went  out  with  him  to  the  dreadful  War-god's  field. 

And  there  Aietes  sat  upon  his  throne,  with  his  warriors 
on  each  hand,  thousands  and  tens  of  thousands,  clothed 
from  head  to  foot  in  steel-chain  mail.  And  the  people 
and  the  women  crowded  to  every  window,  and  bank 
and  wall ;  while  the  Minuai  stood  together,  a  mere  hand 
ful  in  the  midst  of  that  great  host. 

And  Chalciope  was  there  and  Argus,  trembling,  and 
Medeia,  wrapped  closely  in  her  veil;  but  Aietes  did  not 
know  that  she  was  muttering  cunning  spells  between 
her  lips. 

Then  Jason  cried,  "Fulfil  your  promise,  and  let  your 
fiery  bulls  come  forth." 

Then  Aietes  bade  open  the  gates,  and  the  magic  bulls 
leapt  out.  Their  brazen  hoofs  rang  upon  the  ground, 
and  their  nostrils  sent  out  sheets  of  flame,  as  they  rushed 
with  lowered  heads  upon  Jason;  but  he  never  flinched 
a  step.  The  flame  of  their  breath  swept  round  him, 
but  it  singed  not  a  hair  of  his  head;  and  the  bulls  stopped 
short  and  trembled,  when  Medeia  began  her  spell. 


266  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

Then  Jason  sprang  upon  the  nearest,  and  seized  him 
by  the  horn;  and  up  and  down  they  wrestled,  till  the  bull 
fell  grovelling  on  his  knees;  for  the  heart  of  the  brute 
died  within  him,  and  his  mighty  limbs  were  loosed 
beneath  the  steadfast  eye  of  that  dark  witch  maiden, 
and  the  magic  whisper  of  her  lips. 

So  both  the  bulls  were  tamed  and  yoked;  and  Jason 
bound  them  to  the  plough,  and  goaded  them  onward 
with  his  lance,  till  he  had  ploughed  the  sacred  field. 

And  all  the  Minuai  shouted;  but  Aietes  bit  his  lips 
with  rage;  for  the  half  of  Jason's  work  was  over,  and 
the  sun  was  yet  high  in  heaven. 

Then  he  took  the  serpents'  teeth  and  sowed  them, 
and  waited  what  would  befall.  But  Medeia  looked  at 
him  and  at  his  helmet,  lest  he  should  forget  the  lesson 
she  had  taught. 

And  every  furrow  heaved  and  bubbled,  and  out  of 
every  clod  rose  a  man.  Out  of  the  earth  they  rose  by 
thousands,  each  clad  from  head  to  foot  in  steel,  and 
drew  their  swords  and  rushed  on  Jason,  where  he  stood 
in  the  midst  alone.  Then  the  Minuai  grew  pale  with 
fear  for  him;  but  Aietes  laughed  a  bitter  laugh.  "See! 
if  I  had  not  warriors  enough  already  round  me,  I  could 
call  them  out  of  the  bosom  of  the  earth." 

But  Jason  snatched  off  his  helmet,  and  hurled  it  into 
the  thickest  of  the  throng.  And  blind  madness  came 
upon  them,  suspicion,  hate,  and  fear;  and  one  cried  to 
his  fellow,  "Thou  didst  strike  me!"  and  another,  "Thou 
art  Jason;  thou  shalt  die!"  So  fury  seized  those  earth- 
born  phantoms,  and  each  turned  his  hand  against  the 
rest;  and  they  fought  and  were  never  weary,  till  they 
all  lay  dead  upon  the  ground.  Then  the  magic  furrows 
opened,  and  the  kind  earth  took  them  home  into  her 


The  Argonauts  267 

breast;  and  the  grass  grew  up  all  green  again  above 
them,  and  Jason's  work  was  done. 

Then  the  Minuai  rose  and  shouted,  till  Prometheus 
heard  them  from  his  crag.  And  Jason  cried:  "Lead 
me  to  the  fleece  this  moment,  before  the  sun  goes  down." 

But  Aietes  thought:  "He  has  conquered  the  bulls; 
and  sown  and  reaped  the  deadly  crop.  Who  is  this  who 
is  proof  against  all  magic?  He  may  kill  the  serpent 
yet."  So  he  delayed,  and  sat  taking  counsel  with  his 
princes,  till  the  sun  went  down  and  all  was  dark.  Then 
he  bade  a  herald  cry,  "Every  man  to  his  home  for  to-night. 
To-morrow  we  will  meet  these  heroes,  and  speak  about 
the  golden  fleece." 

Then  he  turned  and  looked  at  Medeia:  "This  is 
your  doing,  false  witch  maid!  You  have  helped  these 
yellow-haired  strangers,  and  brought  shame  upon  your 
father  and  yourself!" 

Medeia  shrank  and  trembled,  and  her  face  grew  pale 
with  fear;  and  Aietes  knew  that  she  was  guilty,  and 
whispered,  "If  they  win  the  fleece,  you  die!" 

But  the  Minuai  marched  toward  their  ship,  growling 
like  lions  cheated  of  their  prey;  for  they  saw  that  Aietes 
meant  to  mock  them,  and  to  cheat  them  out  of  all  their 
toil.  And  Oileus  said,  "Let  us  go  to  the  grove  together, 
and  take  the  fleece  by  force." 

And  Idas  the  rash  cried,  "Let  us  draw  lots  who  shall 
go  in  first;  for  while  the  dragon  is  devouring  one,  the 
rest  can  slay  him,  and  carry  off  the  fleece  in  peace." 
But  Jason  held  them  back,  though  he  praised  them; 
for  he  hoped  for  Medeia 's  help. 

And  after  awhile  Medeia  came  trembling,  and  wept  a 
long  while  before  she  spoke.  And  at  last: 

"My  end  is  come,  and  I  must  die;  for  my  father  has 


2  68  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

found  out  that  I  have  helped  you.  You  he  would  kill 
if  he  dared ;  but  he  will  not  harm  you,  because  you  have 
been  his  guests.  Go  then,  go,  and  remember  poor 
Medeia  when  you  are  far  away  across  the  sea."  But 
all  the  heroes  cried: 

"If  you  die,  we  die  with  you;  for  without  you  we 
cannot  win  the  fleece,  and  home  we  will  not  go  without 
it,  but  fall  here  fighting  to  the  last  man." 

"You  need  not  die,"  said  Jason.  "Flee  home  with 
us  across  the  sea.  Show  us  first  how  to  win  the  fleece; 
for  you  can  do  it.  Why  else  are  you  the  priestess  of 
the  grove?  Show  us  but  how  to  win  the  fleece,  and 
come  with  us,  and  you  shall  be  my  queen,  and  rale  over 
the  rich  princes  of  the  Minuai,  in  lolcos  by  the  sea." 

And  all  the  heroes  pressed  round,  and  vowed  to  her 
that  she  should  be  their  queen. 

Medeia  wept,  and  shuddered,  and  hid  her  face  in 
her  hands;  for  her  heart  yearned  after  her  sisters  and 
her  playfellows,  and  the  home  where  she  was  brought 
up  as  a  child.  But  at  last  she  looked  up  at  Jason,  and 
spoke  between  her  sobs: 

"Must  I  leave  my  home  and  my  people,  to  wander 
with  strangers  across  the  sea?  The  lot  is  cast,  and  I 
must  endure  it.  I  will  show  you  how  to  win  the  golden 
fleece.  Bring  up  your  ship  to  the  woodside,  and  moor 
her  there  against  the  bank  and  let  Jason  come  up  at 
midnight,  and  one  brave  comrade  with  him,  and  meet 
me  beneath  the  wall." 

Then  all  the  heroes  cried  together:  "I  will  go!" 
"and  I!"  "and  I!"  And  Idas  the  rash  grew  mad  with 
envy;  for  he  longed  to  be  foremost  in  all  things.  But 
Medeia  calmed  them,  and  said:  "Orpheus  shall  go 
with  Jason,  and  bring  his  magic  harp ;  for  I  hear  of  him 


The  Argonauts  269 

that  he  is  the  king  of  all  minstrels,  and  can  charm  all 
things  on  earth." 

And  Orpheus  laughed  for  joy,  and  clapped  his 
hands,  because  the  choice  had  fallen  on  him;  for  in 
those  days  poets  and  singers  were  as  bold  warriors  as 
the  best. 

So  at  midnight  they  went  up  the  bank,  and  found 
Medeia;  and  beside  came  Absyrtus  her  young  brother, 
leading  a  yearling  lamb. 

Then  Medeia  brought  them  to  a  thicket,  beside  the 
War-god's  gate;  and  there  she  bade  Jason  dig  a  ditch, 
and  kill  the  lamb  and  leave  it  there,  and  strew  on  it 
magic  herbs  and  honey  from  the  honeycomb. 

Then  sprang  up  through  the  earth,  with  the  red  fire 
flashing  before  her,  Brimo  the  wild  witch  huntress, 
while  her  mad  hounds  howled  around.  She  had  one 
head  like  a  horse's,  and  another  like  a  ravening  hound's, 
and  another  like  a  hissing  snake's,  and  a  sword  in  either 
hand.  And  she  leapt  into  the  ditch  with  her  hounds, 
and  they  ate  and  drank  their  fill,  while  Jason  and  Orpheus 
trembled,  and  Medeia  hid  her  eyes.  And  at  last  the 
witch  queen  vanished,  and  fled  with  her  hounds  into 
the  woods;  and  the  bars  of  the  gates  fell  down,  and 
the  brazen  doors  flew  wide,  and  Medeia  and  the 
heroes  ran  forward  and  hurried  through  the  poison 
wood,  among  the  dark  stems  of  the  mighty  beeches,  guided 
by  the  gleam  of  the  golden  fleece,  until  they  saw  it  hang 
ing  on  one  vast  tree  in  the  midst.  And  Jason  would  have 
sprung  to  seize  it;  but  Medeia  held  him  back,  and 
pointed  shuddering  to  the  tree  foot,  where  the  mighty 
serpent  lay,  coiled  in  and  out  among  the  roots,  with  a 
body  like  a  mountain  pine.  His  coils  stretched  many 
a  fathom,  spangled  with  bronze  and  gold;  and  half  of 


270  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

him  they  could  see,  but  no  more;  for  the  rest  lay  in 
the  darkness  far  beyond. 

And  when  he  saw  them  coming,  he  lifted  up  his  head, 
and  watched  them  with  his  small  bright  eyes,  and  flashed 
his  forked  tongue,  and  roared  like  the  fire  among  the 
woodlands,  till  the  forest  tossed  and  groaned.  For  his 
cry  shook  the  trees  from  leaf  to  root,  and  swept  over 
the  long  reaches  of  the  river,  and  over  ^Eetes's  hall, 
and  woke  the  sleepers  in  the  city,  till  mothers  clasped 
their  children  in  their  fear. 

But  Medeia  called  gently  to  him;  and  he  stretched 
out  his  long  spotted  neck,  and  licked  her  hand,  and 
looked  up  in  her  face,  as  if  to  ask  for  food.  Then  she 
made  a  sign  to  Orpheus,  and  he  began  his  magic  song. 

And  as  he  sung,  the  forest  grew  calm  again,  and  the 
leaves  on  every  tree  hung  still;  and  the  serpent's  head 
sank  down,  and  his  brazen  coils  grew  limp,  and  his 
glittering  eyes  closed  lazily,  till  he  breathed  as  gently  as 
a  child,  while  Orpheus  called  to  pleasant  Slumber,  who 
gives  peace  to  men,  and  beasts,  and  waves. 

Then  Jason  leapt  forward  warily,  and  stept  across 
that  mighty  snake,  and  tore  the  fleece  from  off  the  tree 
trunk;  and  the  four  rushed  down  the  garden,  to  the 
bank  where  the  Argo  lay. 

There  was  a  silence  for  a  moment,  while  Jason  held 
the  golden  fleece  on  high.  Then  he  cried:  "Go  now, 
good  Argo,  swift  and  steady,  if  ever  you  would  see  Pelion 
more." 

And  she  went,  as  the  heroes  drove  her,  grim  and  silent 
all,  with  muffled  oars,  till  the  pine  wood  bent  like  willow 
in  their  hands,  and  stout  Argo  groaned  beneath  their 
strokes. 

On  and  on,  beneath  the  dewy  darkness,  they  fled 


The  Argonauts  271 

swiftly  down  the  swirling  stream;  underneath  black 
walls,  and  temples,  and  the  castles  of  the  princes  of  the 
East;  past  sluice  mouths,  and  fragrant  gardens,  and 
groves  of  all  strange  fruits;  past  marshes  where  fat  kine 
lay  sleeping,  and  long  beds  of  whispering  reeds;  till 
they  heard  the  merry  music  of  the  surge  upon  the  bar, 
as  it  tumbled  in  the  moonlight  all  alone. 

Into  the  surge  they  rushed,  and  Argo  leapt  the  breakers 
like  a  horse;  for  she  knew  the  time  was  come  to  show 
her  mettle,  and  win  honour  for  the  heroes  and  herself. 

Into  the  surge  they  rushed,  and  Argo  leapt  the  break 
ers  like  a  horse,  till  the  heroes  stopped  all  panting,  each 
man  upon  his  oar,  as  she  slid  into  the  still  broad  sea. 

Then  Orpheus  took  his  harp  and  sang  a  paean,  till 
the  heroes'  hearts  rose  high  again;  and  they  rowed  on 
stoutly  and  steadfastly,  away  into  the  darkness  of  the 
West. 

PART  V 

How  the  Argonauts  Were  Driven  into  the  Unknown  Sea 

So  they  fled  away  in  haste  to  the  westward:  but  Aietes 
manned  his  fleet  and  followed  them.  And  Lynceus  the 
quick  eyed  saw  him  coming,  while  he  was  still  many  a 
mile  away,  and  cried :  "  I  see  a  hundred  ships,  like  a  flock 
of  white  swans,  far  in  the  east."  And  at  that  they  rowed 
hard,  like  heroes;  but  the  ships  came  nearer  every  hour. 

Then  Medeia,  the  dark  witch  maiden,  laid  a  cruel 
and  a  cunning  plot;  for  she  killed  Absyrtus  her  young 
brother,  and  cast  him  into  the  sea,  and  said:  "Ere  my 
father  can  take  up  his  corpse  and  bury  it,  he  must  wait 
long,  and  be  left  far  behind." 


272  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

And  all  the  heroes  shuddered,  and  looked  one  at  the 
other  for  shame;  yet  they  did  not  punish  that  dark 
witch  woman,  because  she  had  won  for  them  the  golden 
fleece. 

And  when  Aietes  came  to  the  place,  he  saw  the  float 
ing  corpse;  and  he  stopped  a  long  while,  and  bewailed 
his  son,  and  took  him  up,  and  went  home.  But  he  sent 
on  his  sailors  toward  the  westward,  and  bound  them  by 
a  mighty  curse:  "Bring  back  to  me  that  dark  witch 
woman,  that  she  may  die  a  dreadful  death.  But  if  you 
return  without  her,  you  shall  die  by  the  same  death 
yourselves." 

So  the  Argonauts  escaped  for  that  time;  but  Father 
Zeus  saw  that  foul  crime;  and  out  of  the  heavens  he  sent 
a  storm,  and  swept  the  ship  far  from  her  course.  Day 
after  day  the  storm  drove  her,  amid  foam  and  blinding 
mist,  till  they  knew  no  longer  where  they  were,  for  the 
sun  was  blotted  from  the  skies.  And  at  last  the  ship 
struck  on  a  shoal,  amid  low  isles  of  mud  and  sand,  and 
the  waves  rolled  over  her  and  through  her,  and  the  heroes 
lost  all  hope  of  life. 

Then  Jason  cried  to  Hera:  "Fair  queen,  who  hast 
befriended  us  till  now,  why  hast  thou  left  us  in  our  misery, 
to  die  here  among  unknown  seas  ?  It  is  hard  to  lose  the 
honour  which  we  have  won  with  such  toil  and  danger, 
and  hard  never  to  see  Hellas  again,  and  the  pleasant  bay 
of  Pagasai." 

Then  out  and  spoke  the  magic  bough  which  stood 
upon  the  Argo's  beak:  "Because  Father  Zeus  is  angry, 
all  this  has  fallen  on  you;  for  a  cruel  crime  has  been 
done  on  board,  and  the  sacred  ship  is  foul  with  blood." 

At  that  some  of  the  heroes  cried:  "Medeia  is  the 
murderess.  Let  the  witch  woman  bear  her  sin,  and  die! " 


The  Argonauts  273 

And  they  seized  Medeia,  to  hurl  her  into  the  sea  and 
atone  for  the  young  boy's  death;  but  the  magic  bough 
spoke  again:  "Let  her  live  till  her  crimes  are  full. 
Vengeance  waits  for  her,  slow  and  sure;  but  she  must 
live,  for  you  need  her  still.  She  must  show  you  the  way 
to  her  sister  Circe,  who  lives  among  the  islands  of  the 
West.  To  her  you  must  sail,  a  weary  way,  and  she  shall 
cleanse  you  from  your  guilt." 

Then  all  the  heroes  wept  aloud  when  they  heard  the 
sentence  of  the  oak;  for  they  knew  that  a  dark  journey 
lay  before  them,  and  years  of  bitter  toil.  And  some 
upbraided  the  dark  witch  woman,  and  some  said :  "  Nay, 
we  are  her  debtors  still;  without  her  we  should  never 
have  won  the  fleece."  But  most  of  them  bit  their  lips 
in  silence,  for  they  feared  the  witch's  spells, 

And  now  the  sea  grew  calmer,  and  the  sun  shone  out 
once  more,  and  the  heroes  thrust  the  ship  off  the  sand 
bank,  and  rowed  forward  on  their  weary  course,  under 
the  guiding  of  the  dark  witch  maiden,  into  the  wastes  of 
the  unknown  sea. 

Whither  they  went  I  cannot  tell,  nor  how  they  came 
to  Circe's  isle.  Some  say  that  they  went  to  the  west 
ward,  and  up  the  Ister*  stream,  and  so  came  into  the 
Adriatic,  dragging  their  ship  over  the  snowy  Alps.  And 
others  say  that  they  went  southward,  into  the  Red  Indian 
Sea,  and  past  the  sunny  lands  where  spices  grow,  round 
Ethiopia  toward  the  west;  and  that  at  last  they  came 
to  Libya,  and  dragged  their  ship  across  the  burning 
sands,  and  over  the  hills  into  the  Syrtes,  where  the  flats 
and  quicksands  spread  for  many  a  mile,  between  rich 
Cyrene  and  the  Lotus-eaters.'  shore.  But  all  these  are 
but  dreams  and  fables,  and  dim  hints  of  unknown  lands. 

*The  Danube. 


274  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

But  all  say  that  they  came  to  a  place  where  they  had 
to  drag  their  ship  across  the  land  nine  days  with  ropes 
and  rollers,  till  they  came  into  an  unknown  sea.  And 
the  best  of  all  the  old  songs  tells  us,  how  they  went  away 
toward  the  north,  till  they  came  to  the  slope  of  Caucasus, 
where  it  sinks  into  the  sea;  and  to  the  narrow  Cimmerian 
Bosphorus,*  where  the  Titan  swam  across  upon  the  bull; 
and  thence  into  the  lazy  waters  of  the  still  Masotid  Lake.f 
And  thence  they  went  northward  ever,  up  the  Tanais, 
which  we  call  Don,  past  the  Geloni  and  Sauromatai, 
and  many  a  wandering  shepherd  tribe,  and  the  one-eyed 
Arimaspi,  of  whom  old  Greek  poets  tell,  who  steal  the 
gold  from  the  Griffins,  in  the  cold  RhiphaianJ  hills. 

And  they  passed  the  Scythian  archers,  and  the  Tauri 
who  eat  men,  and  the  wandering  Hyperboreai,  who  feed 
their  flocks  beneath  the  pole  star,  until  they  came 
into  the  northern  ocean,  the  dull  dead  Cronian  Sea.§ 
And  there  Argo  would  move  on  no  longer;  and  each 
man  clasped  his  elbow,  and  leaned  his  head  upon  his 
hand,  heartbroken  with  toil  and  hunger,  and  gave  him 
self  up  to  death.  But  brave  Ancaios  the  helmsman 
cheered  up  their  hearts  once  more,  and  bade  them  leap 
on  land,  and  haul  the  ship  with  ropes  and  rollers  for 
many  a  weary  day,  whether  over  land,  or  -mud,  or  ice, 
I  know  not,  for  the  song  is  mixed  and  broken  like  a  dream. 
And  it  says  next,  how  they  came  to  the  rich  nation  of 
the  famous  long-lived  men;  and  to  the  coast  of  the 
Cimmerians,  who  never  saw  the  sun,  buried  deep  in  the 
glens  of  the  snow  mountains;  and  to  the  fair  land  of 

*  Between  the  Crimsea  and  Circassia. 
f  The  Sea  of  Azov. 
J  The  Ural  Mountains. 
§  The  Baltic. 


The  Argonauts  275 

Hermione,  where  dwelt  the  most  righteous  of  all  nations; 
and  to  the  gates  of  the  world  below,  and  to  the  dwelling 
place  of  dreams. 

And  at  last  Ancaios  shouted:  "Endure  a  little  while, 
brave  friends,  the  worst  is  surely  past;  for  I  can  see  the 
pure  west  wind  ruffle  the  water,  and  hear  the  roar  of 
ocean  on  the  sands.  So  raise  up  the  mast,  and  set  the 
sail,  and  face  what  comes  like  men." 

Then  out  spoke  the  magic  bough:  "Ah,  would  that 
I  had  perished  long  ago,  and  been  whelmed  by  the  dread 
blue  rocks,  beneath  the  fierce  swell  of  the  Euxine !  Better 
so,  than  to  wander  forever,  disgraced  by  the  guilt  of  my 
princes;  for  the  blood  of  Absyrtus  still  tracks  me,  and 
woe  follows  hard  upon  woe.  And  now  some  dark  horror 
will  clutch  me,  if  I  come  near  the  Isle  of  lerne.*  Unless 
you  will  cling  to  the  land,  and  sail  southward  and  south 
ward  forever,  I  shall  wander  beyond  the  Atlantic,  to  the 
ocean  which  has  no  shore." 

Then  they  blest  the  magic  bough,  and  sailed  south 
ward  along  the  land.  But  ere  they  could  pass  lerne, 
the  land  of  mists  and  storms,  the  wild  wind  came  down, 
dark  and  roaring,  and  caught  the  sail,  and  strained  the 
ropes.  And  away  they  drove  twelve  nights,  on  the  wide 
wild  western  sea,  through  the  foam,  and  over  the  rollers, 
while  they  saw  neither  sun  nor  stars.  And  they  cried 
again:  "We  shall  perish,  for  we  know  not  where  we 
are.  We  are  lost  in  the  dreary  damp  darkness,  and 
cannot  tell  north  from  south." 

But  Lynceus  the  long  sighted  called  gayly  from  the 
bows:  "Take  heart  again,  brave  sailors;  for  I  see  a 
pine-clad  isle,  and  the  halls  of  the  kind  Earth  mother, 
with  a  crown  of  clouds  around  them." 

*  Britain. 


276  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

But  Orpheus  said:  "Turn  from  them,  for  no  living 
man  can  land  there:  there  is  no  harbour  on  the  coast, 
but  steep-walled  cliffs  all  round." 

So  Ancaios  turned  the  ship  away;  and  for  three  days 
more  they  sailed  on,  till  they  came  to  Aiaia,  Circe's 
home,  and  the  fairy  island  of  the  West. 

And  there  Jason  bid  them  land,  and  seek  about  for  any 
sign  of  living  man.  And  as  they  went  inland,  Circe  met 
them,  coming  down  toward  the  ship;  and  they  trembled 
when  they  saw  her;  for  her  hair,  and  face,  and  robes, 
shone  like  flame. 

And  she  came  and  looked  at  Medeia;  and  Medeia  hid 
her  face  beneath  her  veil. 

And  Circe  cried,  "Ah,  wretched  girl,  have  you  forgotten 
all  your  sins,  that  you  come  hither  to  my  island,  where  the 
flowers  bloom  all  the  year  round?  Where  is  your  aged 
father,  and  the  brother  whom  you  killed  ?  Little  do  I 
expect  you  to  return  in  safety  with  these  strangers  whom 
you  love.  I  will  send  you  food  and  wine:  but  your  ship 
must  not  stay  here,  for  it  is  foul  with  sin,  and  foul  with  sin 
its  crew." 

And  the  heroes  prayed  her,  but  in  vain,  and  cried, 
"Cleanse  us  from  our  guilt  1"  But  she  sent  them  away 
and  said,  "Go  on  to  Malea,  and  there  you  may  be 
cleansed,  and  return  home." 

Then  a  fair  wind  rose,  and  they  sailed  eastward,  by 
Tartessus  on  the  Iberian  shore,  till  they  came  to  the 
Pillars  of  Hercules,  and  the  Mediterranean  Sea.  And 
thence  they  sailed  on  through  the  deeps  of  Sardinia,  and 
past  the  Ausonian  Islands,  and  the  capes  of  the  Tyrrhenian 
shore,  till  they  came  to  a  flowery  island,  upon  a  still,  bright 
summer's  eve.  And  as  they  neared  it,  slowly  and  wearily, 
they  heard  sweet  s@ngs  upon  the  shore.  But  when 


The  Argonauts  277 

Medeia  heard  it,  she  started,  and  cried:  "Beware,  all 
heroes,  for  these  are  the  rocks  of  the  Sirens.  You  must 
pass  close  by  them,  for  there  is  no  other  channel;  but 
those  who  listen  to  that  song  are  lost." 

Then  Orpheus  spoke,  the  king  of  all  minstrels:  "Let 
them  match  their  song  against  mine.  I  have  charmed 
stones,  and  trees,  and  dragons,  how  much  more  the  hearts 
of  man!"  So  he  caught  up  his  lyre,  and  stood  upon  the 
poop,  and  began  his  magic  song. 

And  now  they  could  see  the  Sirens,  on  Anthemousa,  the 
flowery  isle;  three  fair  maidens  sitting  on  the  beach, 
beneath  a  red  rock  in  the  setting  sun,  among  beds  of  crim 
son  poppies  and  golden  asphodel.  Slowly  they  sung  and 
sleepily,  with  silver  voices,  mild  and  clear,  which  stole  over 
the  golden  waters,  and  into  the  hearts  of  all  the  heroes,  in 
spite  of  Orpheus's  song. 

And  all  things  stayed  around  and  listened;  the  gulls 
sat  in  white  lines  along  the  rocks;  on  the  beach  great 
seals  lay  basking,  and  kept  time  with  lazy  heads;  while 
silver  shoals  of  fish  came  up  to  hearken,  and  whispered  as 
they  broke  the  shining  calm.  The  Wind  overhead  hushed 
his  whistling,  as  he  shepherded  his  clouds  toward  the 
west;  and  the  clouds  stood  in  mid  blue,  and  listened 
dreaming,  like  a  flock  of  golden  sheep. 

And  as  the  heroes  listened,  the  oars  fell  from  their 
hands,  and  their  heads  drooped  on  their  breasts,  and  they 
closed  their  heavy  eyes ;  and  they  dreamed  of  bright  still 
gardens,  and  of  slumbers  under  murmuring  pines,  till  all 
their  toil  seemed  foolishness,  and  they  thought  of  their 
renown  no  more. 

Then  one  lifted  his  head  suddenly,  and  cried,  "What 
use  in  wandering  forever?  Let  us  stay  here  and  rest 
awhile."  And  another,  "Let  us  row  to  the  shore,  and 


278  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

hear  the  words  they  sing."  And  another,  "I  care  not 
for  the  words,  but  for  the  music.  They  shall  sing  me  to 
sleep,  that  I  may  rest." 

And  Butes,  the  son  of  Pandion,  the  fairest  of  all  mortal 
men,  leapt  out  and  swam  toward  the  shore,  crying,  "I 
come,  I  come,  fair  maidens,  to  live  and  die  here,  listening 
to  your  song." 

Then  Medeia  clapped  her  hands  together,  and  cried, 
"Sing  louder,  Orpheus,  sing  a  bolder  strain;  wake  up 
these  hapless  sluggards,  or  none  of  them  will  see  the  land 
of  Hellas  more." 

Then  Orpheus  lifted  his  harp,  and  crashed  his  cunning 
hand  across  the  strings ;  and  his  music  and  his  voice  rose 
like  a  trumpet  through  the  still  evening  air;  into  the  air 
it  rushed  like  thunder,  till  the  rocks  rang  and  the  sea; 
and  into  their  souls  it  rushed  like  wine,  till  all  hearts  beat 
fast  within  their  breasts. 

And  he  sung  the  song  of  Perseus,  how  the  Gods  led 
him  over  land  and  sea,  and  how  he  slew  the  loathly  Gor 
gon,  and  won  himself  a  peerless  bride;  and  how  he  sits 
now  with  the  Gods  upon  Olympus,  a  shining  star  in  the 
sky,  immortal  with  his  immortal  bride,  and  honoured 
by  all  men  below. 

So  Orpheus  sang,  and  the  Sirens,  answering  each  other 
across  the  golden  sea,  till  Orpheus's  voice  drowned  the 
Sirens,  and  the  heroes  caught  their  oars  again. 

And  they  cried:  "We  will  be  men  like  Perseus,  and  we 
will  dare  and  suffer  to  the  last.  Sing  us  his  song  again,  brave 
Orpheus,  that  we  may  forget  the  Sirens  and  their  spell." 

And  as  Orpheus  sang,  they  dashed  their  oars  into  the 
sea,  and  kept  time  to  his  music,  as  they  fled  fast  away; 
and  the  Sirens'  voices  died  behind  them,  in  the  hissing 
of  the  foam  along  their  wake. 


The  Argonauts  279 

But  Butes  swam  to  the  shore,  and  knelt  down  before 
the  Sirens,  and  cried,  "Sing  on!  sing  on!"  But  he  could 
say  no  more;  for  a  charmed  sleep  came  over  him,  and  a 
pleasant  humming  in  his  ears;  and  he  sank  all  along  upon 
the  pebbles,  and  forgot  all  heaven  and  earth,  and  never 
looked  at  that  sad  beach  around  him,  all  strewn  with  the 
bones  of  men. 

Then  slowly  rose  up  those  three  fair  sisters,  with  a  cruel 
smile  upon  their  lips;  and  slowly  they  crept  down  toward 
him,  like  leopards  who  creep  upon  their  prey;  and  their 
hands  were  like  the  talons  of  eagles,  as  they  stept  across 
the  bones  of  their  victims  to  enjoy  their  cruel  feast. 

But  fairest  Aphrodite  saw  him  from  the  highest  Idalian 
peak,  and  she  pitied  his  youth  and  his  beauty,  and  leapt  up 
from  her  golden  throne;  and  like  a  falling  star  she  cleft 
the  sky,  and  left  a  trail  of  glittering  light,  till  she  stooped 
to  the  Isle  of  the  Sirens,  and  snatched  their  prey  from  their 
claws.  And  she  lifted  Butes  as  he  lay  sleeping,  and  wrapt 
him  in  a  golden  mist;  and  she  bore  him  to  the  peak  of 
Lilybaeum;  and  he  slept  there  many  a  pleasant  year. 

But  when  the  Sirens  saw  that  they  were  conquered, 
they  shrieked  for  envy  and  rage,  and  leapt  from  the  beach 
into  the  sea,  and  were  changed  into  rocks  until  this  day. 

Then  they  came  to  the  straits  by  Lilybaeum,  and  saw 
Sicily,  the  three-cornered  island,  under  which  Enceladus 
the  giant  lies  groaning  day  and  night,  and  when  he  turns 
the  earth  quakes,  and  his  breath  bursts  out  in  roaring 
flames  from  the  highest  cone  of  JEina,,  above  the  chestnut 
woods.  And  there  Charybdis  caught  them  in  its  fearful 
coils  of  wave,  and  rolled  mast-high  about  them,  and  spun 
them  round  and  round;  and  they  could  go  neither  back 
nor  forward,  while  the  whirlpool  sucked  them  in. 

And  while  they  struggled  they  saw  near  them,  on  the 


280  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

other  side  of  the  strait,  a  rock  stand  in  the  water,  with  a 
peak  wrapt  round  in  clouds;  a  rock  which  no  man  could 
climb,  though  he  had  twenty  hands  and  feet,  for  the  stone 
was  smooth  and  slippery,  as  if  polished  by  man's  hand; 
and  half  way  up  a  misty  cave  looked  out  toward  the  west. 

And  when  Orpheus  saw  it,  he  groaned,  and  struck  his 
hands  together.  And  "Little  will  it  help  to  us,"  he  cried, 
"to  escape  the  jaws  of  the  whirlpool;  for  in  that  cave 
lives  Scylla,  the  sea-hag  with  a  young  whelp's  voice;  my 
mother  warned  me  of  her  ere  we  sailed  away  from  Hellas ; 
she  has  six  heads,  and  six  long  necks,  and  hides  in  that 
dark  cleft.  And  from  her  cave  she  fishes  for  all  things 
which  pass  by,  for  sharks,  and  seals,  and  dolphins,  and  all 
the  herds  of  Amphitrite.  And  never  ship's  crew  boasted 
that  they  came  safe  by  her  rock;  for  she  bends  her  long 
necks  down  to  them,  and  every  mouth  takes  up  a  man. 
And  who  will  help  us  now  ?  For  Hera  and  Zeus  hate  us, 
and  our  ship  is  foul  with  guilt;  so  we  must  die,  whatever 
befalls." 

Then  out  of  the  depths  came  Thetis,  Peleus's  silver- 
footed  bride,  for  love  of  her  gallant  husband,  and  all  her 
nymphs  around  her;  and  they  played  like  snow-white 
dolphins,  diving  on  from  wave  to  wave,  before  the  ship, 
and  in  her  wake,  and  beside  her,  as  dolphins  play.  And 
they  caught  the  ship,  and  guided  her,  and  passed  her  on 
from  hand  to  hand,  and  tossed  her  through  the  billows, 
as  maidens  toss  the  ball.  And  when  Scylla  stooped  to 
seize  her,  they  struck  back  her  ravening  heads,  and  foul 
Scylla  whined,  as  a  whelp  whines,  at  the  touch  of  their 
gentle  hands.  But  she  shrank  into  her  cave  affrighted; 
for  all  bad  things  shrink  from  good ;  and  Argo  leapt  safe 
past  her,  while  a  fair  breeze  rose  behind.  Then  Thetis 
and  her  nymphs  sank  down  to  their  gardens  of  green  and 


The  Argonauts  281 

purple,  where  live  flowers  of  bloom  all  the  year  round; 
while  the  heroes  went  on  rejoicing,  yet  dreading  what 
might  come  next. 

After  that  they  rowed  on  steadily  for  many  a  weary  day, 
till  they  saw  a  long  high  island,  and  beyond  it  a  mountain 
land.  And  they  searched  till  they  found  a  harbour,  and 
there  rowed  boldly  in.  But  after  awhile  they  stopped, 
and  wondered;  for  there  stood  a  great  city  on  the  shore, 
and  temples  and  walls  and  gardens,  and  castles  high  in 
air  upon  the  cliffs.  And  on  either  side  they  saw  a 
harbour,  with  a  narrow  mouth,  but  wide  within;  and 
black  ships  without  number,  high  and  dry  upon  the 
shore. 

Then  Ancaius,  the  wise  helmsman,  spoke:  "What  new 
wonder  is  this?  I  know  all  isles,  and  harbours,  and  the 
windings  of  all  the  seas;  and  this  should  be  Corcyra, 
where  a  few  wild  goatherds  dwell.  But  whence  come 
these  new  harbours,  and  vast  works  of  polished  stone?" 

But  Jason  said:  "They  can  be  no  savage  people.  We 
will  go  in  and  take  our  chance." 

So  they  rowed  into  the  harbour,  among  a  thousand 
black-beaked  ships,  each  larger  far  than  Argo,  toward  a 
quay  of  polished  stone.  And  they  wondered  at  that 
mighty  city,  with  its  roofs  of  burnished  brass,  and  long 
and  lofty  walls  of  marble,  with  strong  palisades  above. 
And  the  quays  were  full  of  people,  merchants,  and 
mariners,  and  slaves,  going  to  and  fro  with  merchandise 
among  the  crowd  of  ships.  And  the  heroes'  hearts  were 
humbled,  and  they  looked  at  each  other  and  said:  "We 
thought  ourselves  a  gallant  crew  when  we  sailed  from 
lolcos  by  the  sea;  but  how  small  we  look  before  this  city, 
like  an  ant  before  a  hive  of  bees." 

Then  the  sailors  hailed  them  roughly  from  the  quay: 


282  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

"What  men  are  you? — we  want  no  strangers  here,  nor 
pirates.  We  keep  our  business  to  ourselves." 

But  Jason  answered  gently,  with  many  a  flattering 
word,  and  praised  their  city  and  their  harbour,  and  their 
fleet  of  gallant  ships.  "Surely  you  are  the  children  of 
Poseidon,  and  the  masters  of  the  sea ;  and  we  are  but  poor 
wandering  mariners,  worn  out  with  thirst  and  toil.  Give 
us  but  food  and  water,  and  we  will  go  on  our  voyage  in 
peace." 

Then  the  sailors  laughed  and  answered:  "Stranger, 
you  are  no  fool;  you  talk  like  an  honest  man,  and  you 
shall  find  us  honest  too.  We  are  the  children  of  Poseidon, 
and  the  masters  of  the  sea;  but  come  ashore  to  us,  and 
you  shall  have  the  best  that  we  can  give." 

So  they  limped  ashore,  all  stiff  and  weary,  with  long 
ragged  beards  and  sunburnt  cheeks,  and  garments  torn 
and  weather-stained,  and  weapons  rusted  with  the  spray, 
while  the  sailors  laughed  at  them  (for  they  were  rough- 
tongued,  though  their  hearts  were  frank  and  kind).  And 
one  said:  "These  fellows  are  but  raw  sailors;  they  look 
as  if  they  had  been  sea-sick  all  the  day."  And  another: 
"Their  legs  have  grown  crooked  with  much  rowing,  till 
they  waddle  in  their  walk  like  ducks." 

At  that  Idas  the  rash  would  have  struck  them;  but 
Jason  held  him  back,  till  one  of  the  merchant  kings  spoke 
to  them,  a  tall  and  stately  man. 

"  Do  not  be  angry,  strangers ;  the  sailor  boys  must  have 
their  jest.  But  we  will  treat  you  justly  and  kindly,  for 
strangers  and  poor  men  come  from  God;  and  you  seem 
no  common  sailors  by  your  strength,  and  height,  and 
weapons.  Come  up  with  me  to  the  palace  of  Alcinous, 
the  rich  sea-going  king,  and  we  will  feast  you  well  and 
heartily;  and  after  that  you  shall  tell  us  your  name." 


The  Argonauts  283 

But  Medeia  hung  back,  and  trembled,  and  whispered 
in  Jason's  ear,  "We  are  betrayed,  and  are  going  to  our 
ruin;  for  I  see  my  countrymen  among  the  crowd;  dark- 
eyed  Colchi  in  steel  mail  shirts,  such  as  they  wear  in  my 
father's  land." 

"It  is  too  late  to  turn,"  said  Jason.  And  he  spoke  to 
the  merchant  king:  "What  country  is  this,  good  sir;  and 
what  is  this  new-built  town?" 

"This  is  the  land  of  the  Phaeaces,  beloved  by  all  the 
Immortals;  for  they  come  hither  and  feast  like  friends 
with  us,  and  sit  by  our  side  in  the  hall.  Hither  we 
came  from  Liburnia  to  escape  the  unrighteous  Cyclopes; 
for  they  robbed  us,  peaceful  merchants,  of  our  hard- 
earned  wares  and  wealth.  So  Nausithous,  the  son  of 
Poseidon,  brought  us  hither,  and  died  in  peace ;  and  now 
his  son  Alcinous  rules  us,  and  Arete  the  wisest  of  queens." 

So  they  went  up  across  the  square,  and  wondered  still 
more  as  they  went;  for  along  the  quays  lay  in  order  great 
cables,  and  yards,  and  masts,  before  the  fair  temple  of 
Poseidon,  the  blue-haired  king  of  the  seas.  And  round 
the  square  worked  the  shipwrights,  as  many  in  number 
as  ants,  twining  ropes,  and  hewing  timber,  and  smoothing 
long  yards  and  oars.  And  the  Minuai  went  on  in  silence 
through  clean  white  marble  streets,  till  they  came  to  the 
hall  of  Alcinous,  and  they  wondered  then  still  more. 
For  the  lofty  palace  shone  aloft  in  the  sun,  with  walls  of 
plated  brass,  from  the  threshold  to  the  innermost  cham 
ber,  and  the  doors  were  of  silver  and  gold.  And  on  each 
side  of  the  doorway  sat  living  dogs  of  gold,  who  never 
grew  old  or  died,  so  well  Hephaistus  had  made  them  in 
his  forges  in  smoking  Lemnos,  and  gave  them  to  Alcinous 
to  guard  his  gates  by  night.  And  within,  against  the 
walls,  stood  thrones  on  either  side,  down  the  whole 


284  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

length  of  the  hall,  strewn  with  rich  glossy  shawls;  and  on 
them  the  merchant  kings  of  those  crafty  sea-roving 
Phasaces  sat  eating  and  drinking  in  pride,  and  feasting 
there  all  the  year  round.  And  boys  of  molten  gold  stood 
each  on  a  polished  altar,  and  held  torches  in  their  hands,  to 
give  light  all  night  to  the  guests.  And  round  the  house 
sat  fifty  maid  servants,  some  grinding  the  meal  in  the  mill, 
some  turning  the  spindle,  some  weaving  at  the  loom,  while 
their  hands  twinkled  as  they  passed  the  shuttle,  like 
quivering  aspen  leaves. 

And  outside  before  the  palace  a  great  garden  was 
walled  round,  filled  full  of  stately  fruit  trees,  with  olives 
and  sweet  figs,  and  pomegranates,  pears,  and  apples, 
which  bore  the  whole  year  round.  For  the  rich  south 
west  wind  fed  them,  till  pear  grew  ripe  on  pear,  fig  on 
fig,  and  grape  on  grape,  all  the  winter  and  the  spring. 
And  at  the  further  end  gay  flower  beds  bloomed  through 
all  seasons  of  the  year;  and  two  fair  fountains  rose,  and 
ran,  one  through  the  garden  grounds,  and  one  beneath 
the  palace  gate,  to  water  all  the  town.  Such  noble 
gifts  the  heavens  had  given  to  Alcinous  the  wise. 

So  they  went  in,  and  saw  him  sitting,  like  Poseidon,  on 
his  throne,  with  his  golden  sceptre  by  him,  in  garments 
stiff  with  gold,  and  in  his  hand  a  sculptured  goblet,  as 
he  pledged  the  merchant  kings;  and  beside  him  stood 
Arete,  his  wise  and  lovely  queen,  and  leaned  against  a 
pillar,  as  she  spun  her  golden  threads. 

Then  Alcinous  rose,  and  welcomed  them,  and  bade 
them  sit  and  eat;  and  the  servants  brought  them  tables, 
and  bread,  and  meat,  and  wine. 

But  Medeia  went  on  trembling  -toward  Arete,  the  fair 
queen,  and  fell  at  her  knees,  and  clasped  them,  and  cried 
weeping  as  she  knelt: 


The  Argonauts  285 

"I  am  your  guest,  fair  queen,  and  I  entreat  you  be 
Zeus  from  whom  prayers  come.  Do  not  send  me  back 
to  my  father,  to  die  some  dreadful  death;  but  let  me 
go  my  way,  and  bear  my  burden.  Have  I  not  had 
enough  of  punishment  and  shame  ? " 

"Who  are  you,  strange  maiden?  and  what  is  the  mean 
ing  of  your  prayer  ?  " 

"I  am  Medeia,  daughter  of  Aietes,  and  I  saw  my 
countrymen  here  to-day;  and  I  know  that  they  are  come 
to  find  me,  and  take  me  home  to  die  some  dreadful 
death." 

Then  Arete  frowned,  and  said:  "Lead  this  girl  in, 
my  maidens;  and  let  the  kings  decide,  not  I." 

And  Alcinous  leapt  up  from  his  throne,  and  cried, 
"Speak,  strangers,  who  are  you?  And  who  is  this 
maiden?" 

"We  are  the  heroes  of  the  Minuai,"  said  Jason;  "and 
this  maiden  has  spoken  truth.  We  are  the  men  who  took 
the  golden  fleece,  the  men  whose  fame  has  run  round 
every  shore.  We  came  hither  out  of  the  ocean,  after 
sorrows  such  as  man  never  saw  before.  We  went  out 
many,  and  come  back  few,  for  many  a  noble  comrade 
have  we  lost.  So  let  us  go,  as  you  should  let  your  guests 
go,  in  peace;  that  the  world  may  say,  *  Alcinous  is  a  just 
king.'" 

But  Alcinous  frowned,  and  stood  deep  in  thought;  and 
at  last  he  spoke: 

"Had  not  the  deed  been  done,  which  is  done,  I  should 
have  said  this  day  to  myself,  'It  is  an  honour  to  Alcinous, 
and  to  his  children  after  him,  that  the  far-famed  Argonauts 
are  his  guests.'  But  these  Colchi  are  my  guests,  as  you 
are;  and  for  this  month  they  have  waited  here  with  all 
their  fleet;  for  they  have  hunted  all  the  seas  of  Hellas, 


286  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

and  could  n6t  find  you,  and  dared  neither  go  further, 
nor  go  home." 

"Let  them  choose  out  their  champions,  and  we  will 
fight  them,  man  for  man." 

"No  guest  of  ours  shall  fight  upon  our  island;  and  if 
you  go  outside,  they  will  outnumber  you.  I  will  do 
justice  between  you;  for  I  know  and  do  what  is  right." 

Then  he  turned  to  his  kings,  and  said:  "This  may 
stand  over  till  to-morrow.  To-night  we  will  feast  our 
guests,  and  hear  the  story  of  all  their  wanderings,  and  how 
they  came  hither  out  of  the  ocean." 

So  Alcinous  bade  the  servants  take  the  heroes  in,  and 
bathe  them,  and  give  them  clothes.  And  they  were  glad 
when  they  saw  the  warm  water,  for  it  was  long  since 
they  had  bathed.  And  they  washed  off  the  sea  salt 
from  their  limbs,  and  anointed  themselves  from  head  to 
foot  with  oil,  and  combed  out  their  golden  hair.  Then 
they  came  back  again  into  the  hall,  while  the  merchant 
kings  rose  up  to  do  them  honour.  And  each  man  said 
to  his  neighbour:  "No  wonder  that  these  men  won 
fame.  How  they  stand  now  like  Giants,  or  Titans,  or 
Immortals  come  down  from  Olympus,  though  many  a 
winter  has  worn  them,  and  many  a  fearful  storm.  What 
must  they  have  been  when  they  sailed  from  lolcos,  in  the 
bloom  of  their  youth,  long  ago?" 

Then  they  went  out  to  the  garden;  and  the  merchant 
princes  said:  "Heroes,  run  races  with  us.  Let  us  see 
whose  feet  are  nimblest." 

"We  cannot  race  against  you,  for  our  limbs  are  stiff 
from  sea;  and  we  have  lost  our  two  swift  comrades,  the 
sons  of  the  north  wind.  But  do  not  think  us  cowards;  if 
you  wish  to  try  our  strength,  we  will  shoot  and  box,  and 
wrestle,  against  any  men  on  earth." 


The  Argonauts  287 

And  Alcinous  smiled,  and  answered:  "I  believe  you, 
gallant  guests;  with  your  long  limbs  and  broad  shoulders, 
we  could  never  match  you  here.  For  we  care  nothing 
here  for  boxing,  or  for  shooting  with  the  bow;  but  for 
feasts,  and  songs,  and  harping,  and  dancing,  and  running 
races,  to  stretch  our  limbs  on  shore/' 

So  they  danced  there  and  ran  races,  the  jolly  merchant 
kings,  till  the  night  fell,  and  all  went  in. 

And  then  they  ate  and  drank,  and  comforted  their 
weary  souls,  till  Alcinous  called  a  herald,  and  bade  him 
go  and  fetch  the  harper. 

The  herald  went  out,  and  fetched  the  harper,  and  led 
him  in  by  the  hand ;  and  Alcinous  cut  him  a  piece  of  meat 
from  the  fattest  of  the  haunch,  and  sent  it  to  him,  and 
said:  "Sing  to  us,  noble  harper,  and  rejoice  the  heroes' 
hearts." 

So  the  harper  played  and  sang,  while  the  dancers 
danced  strange  figures;  and  after  that  the  tumblers 
showed  their  tricks,  till  the  heroes  laughed  again. 

Then,  "Tell  me,  heroes,"  asked  Alcinous,  "you  who 
have  sailed  the  ocean  round,  and  seen  the  manners  of  all 
nations,  have  you  seen  such  dancers  as  ours  here  ?  or  heard 
such  music  and  such  singing?  We  hold  ours  to  be  the 
best  on  earth." 

"Such  dancing  we  have  never  seen,"  said  Orpheus; 
"and  your  singer  is  a  happy  man;  for  Phcebus  himself 
must  have  taught  him,  or  else  he  is  the  son  of  a  Muse;  as 
I  am  also,  and  have  sung  once  or  twice,  though  not  so 
well  as  he." 

"Sing  to  us,  then,  noble  stranger,"  said  Alcinous; 
"and  we  will  give  you  precious  gifts." 

So  Orpheus  took  his  magic  harp,  and  sang  to  them  a 
stirring  song  of  their  voyage  from  lolcos,  and  their 


288  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

dangers,  and  how  they  won  the  golden  fieece;  and  of 
Medeia's  love,  and  how  she  helped  them,  and  went 
with  them  over  land  and  sea;  and  of  all  their  fearful 
dangers,  from  monsters,  and  rocks,  and  storms,  till  the 
heart  of  Arete  was  softened,  and  all  the  women  wept. 
And  the  merchant  kings  rose  up,  each  man  from  off 
his  golden  throne,  and  clasped  their  hands,  and  shouted : 
"Hail  to  the  noble  Argonauts,  who  sailed  the  unknown 
sea!" 

Then  he  went  on,  and  told  their  journey  over  the 
sluggish  northern  main,  and  through  the  shoreless  outer 
ocean,  to  the  fairy  island  of  the  West ;  and  of  the  Sirens, 
and  Scylla,  and  Charybdis,  and  all  the  wonders  they 
had  seen,  till  midnight  passed,  and  the  day  dawned; 
but  the  kings  never  thought  of  sleep.  Each  man  sat  still 
and  listened,  with  his  chin  upon  his  hand. 

And  at  last  when  Orpheus  had  ended,  they  all  went 
thoughtful  out,  and  the  heroes  lay  down  to  sleep,  beneath 
the  sounding  porch  outside,  where  Arete  had  strewn  them 
rugs  and  carpets,  in  the  sweet  still  summer  night. 

But  Arete  pleaded  hard  with  her  husband  for  Medeia, 
for  her  heart  was  softened.  And  she  said:  "The  Gods 
will  punish  her,  not  we.  After  all,  she  is  our  guest  and 
my  suppliant,  and  prayers  are  the  daughters  of  Zeus. 
And  who,  too,  dare  part  man  and  wife,  after  all  they 
have  endured  together?" 

And  Alcinous  smiled.  "The  minstrel's  song  has 
charmed  you;  but  I  must  remember  what  is  right;  for 
songs  cannot  alter  justice;  and  I  must  be  faithful  to  my 
name.  Alcinous  I  am  called,  the  man  of  sturdy  sense, 
and  Alcinous  I  will  be."  But  for  all  that,  Arete  besought 
him,  until  she  won  him  round. 

So  next  morning  he  sent  a  herald,  and  called  the  kings 


The  Argonauts  289 

into  the  square,  and  said:  "This  is  a  puzzling  matter; 
remember  but  one  thing.  These  Minuai  live  close  by 
us,  and  we  may  meet  them  often  on  the  seas;  but  Aietes 
lives  afar  off,  and  we  have  only  heard  his  name.  Which, 
then,  of  the  two  is  it  safer  to  offend,  the  men  near  us,  or 
the  men  far  off?" 

The  princes  laughed,  and  praised  his  wisdom;  and 
Alcinous  called  the  heroes  to  the  square,  and  the  Colchi 
also;  and  they  came  and  stood  opposite  each  other;  but 
Medeia  stayed  in  the  palace.  Then  Alcinous  spoke: 
"Heroes  of  the  Colchi,  what  is  your  errand  about  this 
lady?" 

"To  carry  her  home  with  us,  that  she  may  die  a 
shameful  death;  but  if  we  return  without  her,  we  must 
die  the  death  she  should  have  died." 

"What  say  you  to  this,  Jason  the  ^Eolid?"  said 
Alcinous,  turning  to  the  Minuai. 

"I  say,"  said  the  cunning  Jason,  "that  they  are  come 
here  on  a  bootless  errand.  Do  you  think  that  you  can  • 
make  her  follow  you,  heroes  of  the  Colchi?  her,  who 
knows  all  spells  and  charms?  She  will  cast  away  your 
ships  on  quicksands,  or  call  down  on  you  Brimo  the  wild 
huntress;  or  the  chains  will  fall  from  off  her  wrists,  and 
she  will  escape  in  her  dragon  car;  or  if  not  thus,  some 
other  way;  for  she  has  a  thousand  plans  and  wiles.  And 
why  return  home  at  all,  brave  heroes,  and  face  the  long 
seas  again,  and  the  Bosphorus,  and  the  stormy  Euxine, 
and  double  all  your  toil?  There  is  many  a  fair  land 
round  these  coasts,  which  waits  for  gallant  men  like  you. 
Better  to  settle  there,  and  build  a  city,  and  let  Aietes  and 
Colchis  help  themselves." 

Then  a  murmur  rose  among  the  Colchi,  and  some 
cried,  "He  has  spoken  well";  and  some,  "We  have  had 


2 90  Myths  Every  Child  Shoiild  Know 

enough  of  roving,  we  will  sail  the  seas  no  more!"  And 
the  chief  said  at  last,  "Be  it  so,  then;  a  plague  she  has 
been  to  us,  and  a  plague  to  the  house  of  her  father,  and  a 
plague  she  will  be  to  you.  Take  her,  since  you  are  no 
wiser;  and  we  will  sail  away  toward  the  north." 

Then  Alcinous  gave  them  food,  and  water,  and 
garments,  and  rich  presents  of  all  sorts;  and  he  gave 
the  same  to  the  Minuai,  and  sent  them  all  away  in  peace. 

So  Jason  kept  the  dark  witch  maiden  to  breed  him 
woe  and  shame;  and  the  Colchi  went  northward  into  the 
Adriatic,  and  settled,  and  built  towns  along  the  shore. 

Then  the  heroes  rowed  away  to  the  eastward,  to  reach 
Hellas  their  beloved  land;  but  a  storm  came  down  upon 
them,  and  swept  them  far  away  toward  the  south. 
And  they  rowed  till  they  were  spent  with  struggling, 
through  the  darkness  and  the  blinding  rain,  but  where 
they  were  they  could  not  tell,  and  they  gave  up  all  hope 
of  life.  And  at  last  they  touched  the  ground,  and  when 
daylight  came  they  waded  to  the  shore;  and  saw  nothing 
round  but  sand,  and  desolate  salt  pools;  for  they  had 
come  to  the  quicksands  of  the  Syrtis,  and  the  dreary 
treeless  flats,  which  lie  between  Numidia  and  Cyrene,  on 
the  burning  shore  of  Africa.  And  there  they  wandered 
starving  for  many  a  weary  day,  ere  they  could  launch 
their  ship  again,  and  gain  the  open  sea.  And  there 
Canthus  was  killed  while  he  was  trying  to  drive  off  sheep, 
by  a  stone  which  a  herdsman  threw. 

And  there,  too,  Mopsus  died,  the  seer  who  knew  the 
voices  of  all  birds;  but  he  could  not  foretell  his  own  end, 
for  he  was  bitten  in  the  foot  by  a  snake,  one  of  those 
which  sprang  from  the  Gorgon's  head  when  Perseus 
carried  it  across  the  sands. 

At  last  they  rowed  away  toward  the  northward,  for 


-  The  Argonauts  291 

many  a  weary  day,  till  their  water  was  spent,  and  their 
food  eaten;  and  they  were  worn  out  with  hunger  and 
thirst.  But  at  last  they  saw  a  long  steep  island,  and  a 
blue  peak  high  among  the  clouds;  and  they  knew  it  for 
the  peak  of  Ida,  and  the  famous  land  of  Crete.  And 
they  said,  "We  will  land  in  Crete,  and  see  Minos  the  just 
king,  and  all  his  glory  and  his  wealth;  at  least  he  will 
treat  us  hospitably,  and  let  us  fill  our  water  casks  upon  the 
shore." 

But  when  they  came  nearer  to  the  island  they  saw  a 
wondrous  sight  upon  the  cliffs.  For  on  a  cape  to  the 
westward  stood  a  giant,  taller  than  any  mountain  pine; 
who  glittered  aloft  against  the  sky  like  a  tower  of  burnished 
brass.  He  turned  and  looked  on  all  sides  round  him, 
till  he  saw  the  Argo  and  her  crew;  and  when  he  saw 
them  he  came  toward  them,  more  swiftly  than  the  swiftest 
horse,  leaping  across  the  glens  at  a  bound,  and  striding 
at  one  step  from  down  to  down.  And  when  he  came 
abreast  of  them  he  brandished  his  arms  up  and  down,  as  a 
ship  hoists  and  lowers  her  yards,  and  shouted  with  his 
brazen  throat  like  a  trumpet  from  off  the  hills:  "You 
are  pirates,  you  are  robbers!  If  you  dare  land  here,  you 
die." 

Then  the  heroes  cried:  "We  are  no  pirates.  We 
are  all  good  men  and  true;  and  all  we  ask  is  food  and 
water";  but  the  giant  cried  the  more — 

"You  are  robbers,  you  are  pirates  all;  I  know  you; 
and  if  you  land,  you  shall  die  the  death." 

Then  he  waved  his  arms  again  as  a  signal,  and  they 
saw  the  people  flying  inland,  driving  their  flocks  before 
them;  while  a  great  flame  arose  among  the  hills.  Then 
the  giant  ran  up  a  valley  and  vanished;  and  die  heroes 
lay  on  their  oars  in  fear. 


293  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

But  Medeia  stood  watching  all,  from  under  her  steep 
black  brows,  with  a  cunning  smile  upon  her  lips,  and  a 
cunning  plot  within  her  heart.  At  last  she  spoke; 
"I  know  this  giant.  I  heard  of  him  in  the  East.  Hepha- 
istos  the  Fire  King  made  him,  in  his  forge  in  JEtna. 
beneath  the  earth,  and  called  him  Talus,  and  gave  him 
to  Minos  for  a  servant,  to  guard  the  coast  of  Crete. 
Thrice  a  day  he  walks  round  the  island,  and  never  stops 
to  sleep;  and  if  strangers  land  he  leaps  into  his  furnace, 
which  flames  there  among  the  hills;  and  when  he  is 
red  hot  he  rushes  on  them,  and  burns  them  in  his  brazen 
hands." 

Then  all  the  heroes  cried,  "What  shall  we  do,  wise 
Medeia?  We  must  have  water,  or  we  die  of  thirst. 
Flesh  and  blood  we  can  face  fairly;  but  who  can  face  this 
red-hot  brass?" 

"I  can  face  red-hot  brass,  if  the  tale  I  hear  be  true. 
For  they  say  that  he  has  but  one  vein  in  all  his  body,  filled 
with  liquid  fire;  and  that  this  vein  is  closed  with  a  nail; 
but  I  know  not  where  that  nail  is  placed.  But  if  I  can 
get  it  once  into  these  hands,  you  shall  water  your  ship 
here  in  peace." 

Then  she  bade  them  put  her  on  shore,  and  row  off 
again,  and  wait  what  would  befall. 

And  the  heroes  obeyed  her  unwillingly;  for  they  were 
ashamed  to  leave  her  so  alone;  but  Jason  said,  "She  is 
dearer  to  me  than  to  any  of  you,  yet  I  will  trust  her  freely 
on  shore;  she  has  more  plots  than  we  can  dream  of,  in 
the  windings  of  that  fair  and  cunning  head." 

So  they  left  the  witch  maiden  on  the  shore;  and  she 
stood  there  in  her  beauty  all  alone,  till  the  giant  strode 
back  red  hot  from  head  to  heel,  while  the  grass  hissed 
and  smoked  beneath  his  tread. 


The  Argonauts  293 

And  when  he  saw  the  maiden  alone,  he  stopped;  and 
she  looked  boldly  up  into  his  face  without  moving,  and 
began  her  magic  song: 

"Life  is  short,  though  life  is  sweet;  and  even  men  of 
brass  and  fire  must  die.  The  brass  must  rust,  the  fire 
must  cool,  for  time  gnaws  all  things  in  their  turn.  Life  is 
short,  though  life  is  sweet;  but  sweeter  to  live  forever; 
sweeter  to  live  ever  youthful  like  the  Gods,  who  have 
ichor  in  their  veins;  ichor  which  gives  life,  and  youth, 
and  joy,  and  a  bounding  heart." 

Then  Talus  said,  "Who  are  you,  strange  maiden;  and 
where  is  this  ichor  of  youth?" 

Then  Medeia  held  up  a  flask  of  crystal,  and  said, 
"Here  is  the  ichor  of  youth.  I  am  Medeia  the  en 
chantress  ;  my  sister  Circe  gave  me  this,  and  said, '  Go  and 
reward  Talus  the  faithful  servant,  for  his  fame  is  gone 
out  into  all  lands.'  So  come,  and  I  will  pour  this  into 
your  veins,  that  you  may  live  forever  young." 

And  he  listened  to  her  false  words,  that  simple  Talus, 
and  came  near;  and  Medeia  said,  "Dip  yourself  in  the  sea 
first,  and  cool  yourself,  lest  you  burn  my  tender  hands, 
then  show  me  where  the  nail  in  your  vein  is,  that  I  may 
pour  the  ichor  in." 

Then  that  simple  Talus  dipped  himself  in  the  sea,  till 
it  hissed,  and  roared,  and  smoked;  and  came  and  knelt 
before  Medeia,  and  showed  her  the  secret  nail. 

And  she  drew  the  nail  out  gently;  but  she  poured  no 
ichor  in;  and  instead  the  liquid  fire  spouted  forth,  like 
a  stream  of  red-hot  iron.  And  Talus  tried  to  leap  up, 
crying,  "You  have  betrayed  me,  false  witch  maiden  1" 
But  she  lifted  up  her  hands  before  him,  and  sang,  till  he 
sank  beneath  her  spell.  And  as  he  sank,  his  brazen 
limbs  clanked  heavily,  and  the  earth  groaned  beneath 


294  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

his  weight;  and  the  liquid  fire  ran  from  his  heel,  like  a 
stream  of  lava  to  the  sea;  and  Medeia  laughed,  and 
called  to  the  heroes,  "Come  ashore,  and  water  your 
ship  in  peace.'* 

So  they  came,  and  found  the  giant  lying  dead;  and 
they  fell  down,  and  kissed  Medeia 's  feet;  and  watered 
their  ship,  and  took  sheep  and  oxen,  and  so  left  that 
inhospitable  shore. 

At  last,  after  many  more  adventures,  they  came  to 
the  Cape  of  Malea,  at  the  southwest  point  of  the  Pelo- 
ponnese.  And  there  they  offered  sacrifices,  and  Orpheus 
purged  them  from  their  guilt.  Then  they  rowed  away 
again  to  the  northward,  past  the  Laconian  shore,  and 
came  all  worn  and  tired  by  Sunium,  and  up  the  long 
Eubcean  Strait,  until  they  saw  once  more  Pelion,  and 
Aphetai,  and  lolcos  by  the  sea.  . 

And  they  ran  the  ship  ashore ;  but  they  had  no  strength 
left  to  haul  her  up  the  beach;  and  they  crawled  out  on 
the  pebbles,  and  sat  down,  and  wept  till  they  could  weep 
no  more.  For  the  houses  and  the  trees  were  all  altered; 
and  all  the  faces  which  they  saw  were  strange;  and  their 
joy  was  swallowed  up  in  sorrow,  while  they  thought  of 
their  youth,  and  all  their  labour,  and  the  gallant  com 
rades  they  had  lost. 

And  the  people  crowded  round,  and  asked  them, 
"Who  are  you,  that  you  sit  weeping  here?" 

"We  are  the  sons  of  your  princes,  who  sailed  out 
many  a  year  ago.  We  went  to  fetch  the  golden  fleece; 
and  we  have  brought  it,  and  grief  therewith.  Give  us 
news  of  our  fathers  and  our  mothers,  if  any  of  them  be 
left  alive  on  earth." 

Then  there  was  shouting  and  laughing,  and  weeping; 
and  all  the  kings  came  to  the  shore,  and  they  led  away 


The  Argonauts  295 

the  heroes  to  their  homes,  and  bewailed  the  valiant 
dead. 

Then  Jason  went  up  with  Medeia  to  the  palace  of  his 
uncle  Pelias.  And  when  he  came  in,  Pelias  sat  by  the 
hearth,  crippled  and  blind  with  age;  while  opposite  him 
sat  ^Eson,  Jason's  father,  crippled  and  blind  likewise; 
and  the  two  old  men's  heads  shook  together,  as  they 
tried  to  warm  themselves  before  the  fire. 

And  Jason  fell  down  at  his  father's  knees,  and  wept, 
and  called  him  by  his  name.  And  the  old  man  stretched 
his  hands  out,  and  felt  him,  and  said:  "Do  not  mock 
me,  young  hero.  My  son  Jason  is  dead  long  ago  at 
sea." 

"I  am  your  own  son  Jason,  whom  you  trusted  to  the 
Centaur  upon  Pelion;  and  I  have  brought  home  the 
golden  fleece,  and  a  princess  of  the  Sun's  race  for  my 
bride.  So  now  give  me  up  the  kingdom,  Pelias  my 
uncle,  and  fulfil  your  promise  as  I  have  fulfilled  mine." 

Then  his  father  clung  to  him  like  a  child,  and  wept, 
and  would  not  let  him  go;  and  cried,  "Now  I  shall  not 
go  down  lonely  to  my  grave.  Promise  me  never  to 
leave  me  till  I  die." 

PART  VI 

What  Was  the  End  of  the  Heroes 

AND  now  I  wish  that  I  could  end  my  story  pleasantly; 
but  it  is  no  fault  of  mine  that  I  cannot.  The  old  songs 
end  it  sadly,  and  I  believe  that  they  are  right  and  wise; 
for  though  the  heroes  were  purified  at  Malea,  yet  sac 
rifices  cannot  make  bad  hearts  good,  and  Jason  had  taken 
a  wicked  wife,  and  he  had  to  bear  his  burden  to  the  last 


296  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

And  first  she  laid  a  cunning  plot,  to  punish  that  poor 
old  Pelias,  instead  of  letting  him  die  in  peace. 

For  she  told  his  daughters:  "I  can  make  old  things 
young  again;  I  will  show  you  how  easy  it  is  to  do."  So 
she  took  an  old  ram  and  killed  him,  and  put  him  in  a 
cauldron  with  magic  herbs;  and  whispered  her  spells 
over  him,  and  he  leapt  out  again  a  young  lamb.  So 
that  "Medeia's  cauldron"  is  a  proverb  still,  by  which 
we  mean  times  of  war  and  change,  when  the  world  has 
become  old  and  feeble,  and  grows  young  again  through 
bitter  pains. 

Then  she  said  to  Pelias's  daughters:  "Do  to  your 
father  as  I  did  to  this  ram,  and  he  will  grow  young  and 
strong  again."  But  she  only  told  them  half  the  spell; 
so  they  failed,  while  Medeia  mocked  them;  and  poor 
old  Pelias  died,  and  his  daughters  came  to  misery.  But 
the  songs  say  she  cured  y£son,  Jason's  father,  and  he 
became  young  and  strong  again. 

But  Jason  could  not  love  her,  after  all  her  cruel  deeds. 
So  he  was  ungrateful  to  her,  and  wronged  her:  and  she 
revenged  herself  on  him.  And  a  terrible  revenge  she 
took — too  terrible  to  speak  of  here.  But  you  will  hear 
of  it  yourselves  when  you  grow  up,  for  it  has  been  sung 
in  noble  poetry  and  music;  and  whether  it  be  true  or 
not,  it  stands  forever  as  a  warning  to  us,  not  to  seek  for 
help  from  evil  persons,  or  to  gain  good  ends  by  evil 
means.  For  if  we  use  an  adder  even  against  our  enemies, 
it  will  turn  again  and  sting  us. 

But  of  all  the  other  heroes  there  is  many  a  brave  tale 
left,  which  I  have  no  space  to  tell  you,  so  you  must  read 
them  for  yourselves — of  the  hunting  of  the  boar  in 
Calydon,  which  Meleager  killed;  and  of  Heracles's 
twelve  famous  labours;  and  of  the  seven  who  fought  at 


The  Argonauts  297 

Thebes ;  and  of  the  noble  love  of  Castor  and  Polydeuces, 
the  twin  Dioscouroi;  how  when  one  died,  the  other 
would  not  live  without  him,  so  they  shared  their  immor 
tality  between  them;  and  Zeus  changed  them  into  the 
two  twin  stars,  which  never  rise  both  at  once. 

And  what  became  of  Cheiron,  the  good  immortal 
beast?  That,  too,  is  a  sad  story;  for  the  heroes  never 
saw  him  more.  He  was  wounded  by  a  poisoned  arrow, 
at  Pholoe  among  the  hills,  when  Heracles  opened  the 
fatal  wine  jar,  which  Cheiron  had  warned  him  not  to 
touch.  And  the  Centaurs  smelt  the  wine,  and  flocked 
to  it,  and  fought  for  it  with  Heracles ;  but  he  killed  them 
all  with  his  poisoned  arrows,  and  Cheiron  was  left  alone. 
Then  Cheiron  took  up  one  of  the  arrows,  and  dropped 
it  by  chance  upon  his  foot;  and  the  poison  ran  like  fire 
along  his  veins,  and  he  lay  down,  and  longed  to  die; 
and  cried:  "Through  wine  I  perish,  the  bane  of  all 
my  race.  Why  should  I  live  forever  in  this  agony? 
Who  will  take  my  immortality  that  I  may  die?" 

Then  Prometheus  answered,  the  good  Titan,  whom 
Heracles  had  set  free  from  Caucasus:  "I  will  take  your 
immortality  and  live  forever,  that  I  may  help  poor  mortal 
men."  So  Cheiron  gave  him  his  immortality,  and  died, 
and  had  rest  from  pain.  And  Heracles  and  Prometheus 
wept  over  him,  and  went  to  bury  him  on  Pelion;  but 
Zeus  took  him  up  among  the  stars,  to  live  forever,  grand 
and  mild,  low  down  in  the  far  southern  sky. 

And  in  time  the  heroes  died,  all  but  Nestor  the  silver- 
tongued  old  man;  and  left  behind  them  valiant  sons, 
but  not  so  great  as  they  had  been.  Yet  their  fame,  too, 
lives  till  this  day;  for  they  fought  at  the  ten  years'  siege 
of  Troy;  and  their  story  is  in  the  book  which  we  call 
Homer,  in  two  of  the  noblest  songs  on  earth;  the  Iliad, 


298  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

which  tells  us  of  the  siege  of  Troy,  and  Achilles's  quarrel 
with  the  kings;  and  the  Odyssey,  which  tells  the  wander 
ings  of  Odysseus,  through  many  lands  for  many  years; 
and  how  Alcinous  sent  him  home  at  last,  safe  to  Ithaca 
his  beloved  island,  and  to  Penelope  his  faithful  wife, 
and  Telemachus  his  son,  and  Euphorbus  the  noble  swine 
herd,  and  the  old  dog  who  licked  his  hand  and  died. 


CHAPTER  XI 

THE  GIANT  BUILDER 

AGES  and  ages  ago,  when  the  world  was  first  madet 
the  gods  decided  to  build  a  beautiful  city  high  above  the 
heavens,  the  most  glorious  and  wonderful  city  that  ever 
was  known.  Asgard  was  to  be  its  name,  and  it  was  to 
stand  on  Ida  Plain  under  the -shade  of  Yggdrasil,  the 
great  tree  whose  roots  were  underneath  the  earth. 

First  of  all  they  built  a  house  with  a  silver  roof,  where 
there  were  seats  for  all  the  twelve  chiefs.  In  the  midst, 
and  high  above  the  rest,  was  the  wonder  throne  of  Odin 
the  All-Father,  whence  he  could  see  everything  that 
happened  in  the  sky  or  on  the  earth  or  in  the  sea.  Next 
they  made  a  fair  house  for  Queen  Frigg  and  her  lovely 
daughters.  Then  they  built  a  smithy,  with  its  great 
hammers,  tongs,  anvils,  and  bellows,  where  the  gods 
could  work  at  their  favourite  trade,  the  making  of  beau 
tiful  things  out  of  gold;  which  they  did  so  well  that  folk 
name  that  time  the  Golden  Age.  Afterward,  as  they 
had  more  leisure,  they  built  separate  houses  for  all  the 
yEsir,  each  more  beautiful  than  the  preceding,  for  of 
course  they  were  continually  growing  more  skilful. 
They  saved  Father  Odin's  palace  until  the  last,  for  they 
meant  this  to  be  the  largest  and  the  most  splendid 
of  all. 

Gladsheim,  the  home  of  joy,  was  the  name  of  Odin's 
house,  and  it  was  built  all  of  gold,  set  in  the  midst  of  a 
299 


300  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

wood  whereof  the  trees  had  leaves  of  ruddy  gold — like 
an  autumn-gilded  forest.  For  the  safety  of  All-Father 
it  was  surrounded  by  a  roaring  river  and  by  a  high  picket 
fence;  and  there  was  a  great  courtyard  within. 

The  glory  of  Gladsheim  was  its  wondrous  hall,  radiant 
with  gold,  the  most  lovely  room  that  time  has  ever  seen. 
Valhalla,  the  Hall  of  Heroes,  was  the  name  of  it,  and  it 
was  roofed  with  the  mighty  shields  of  warriors.  The 
ceiling  was  made  of  interlacing  spears,  and  there  was  a 
portal  at  the  west  end  before  which  hung  a  great  gray 
wolf,  while  over  him  a  fierce  eagle  hovered.  The  hall 
was  so  huge  that  it  had  540  gates,  through  each  of  which 
800  men  could  march  abreast.  Indeed,  there  needed  to 
be  room,  for  this  was  the  hall  where  every  morning  Odin 
received  all  the  brave  warriors  who  had  died  in  battle 
on  the  earth  below;  and  there  were  many  heroes  in 
those  days. 

This  was  the  reward  which  the  gods  gave  to  courage. 
When  a  hero  had  gloriously  lost  his  life,  the  Valkyries, 
the  nine  warrior  daughters  of  Odin,  brought  his  body 
up  to  Valhalla  on  their  white  horses  that  gallop  the 
clouds.  There  they  lived  forever  after  in  happiness, 
enjoying  the  things  that  they  had  most  loved  upon  earth. 
Every  morning  they  armed  themselves  and  went  out  to 
fight  with  one  another  in  the  great  courtyard.  It  was 
a  wondrous  game,  wondrously  played.  No  matter  how 
often  a  hero  was  killed,  he  became  alive  again  in  time 
to  return  perfectly  well  to  Valhalla,  where  he  ate  a  deli 
cious  breakfast  with  Ihe  ^Esir;  while  the  beautiful 
Valkyries  who  had  first  brought  him  thither  waited  at 
table  and  poured  the  blessed  mead,  which  only  the 
immortal  taste.  A  happy  life  it  was  for  the  heroes, 
and  a  happy  life  for  all  who  dwelt  in  Asgard;  for  this 


The  Giant  Builder  301 

was  before  trouble  had  come  among  the  gods,  following 
the  mischief  of  Loki. 

This  is  how  the  trouble  began.  From  the  beginning 
of  time,  the  giants  had  been  unfriendly  to  the  ^Esir, 
because  the  giants  were  older  and  huger  and  more  wicked ; 
besides,  they  were  jealous  because  the  good  ^sir  were 
fast  gaining  more  wisdom  and  power  than  the  giants 
had  ever  known.  It  was  the  ^sir  who  set  the  fair 
brother  and  sister,  Sun  and  Moon,  in  the  sky  to  give  light 
to  men;  and  it  was  they  also  who  made  the  jewelled 
stars  out  of  sparks  from  the  place  of  fire.  The  giants 
hated  the  ^Esir,  and  tried  all  in  their  power  to  injure  them 
and  the  men  of  the  earth  below,  whom  the  ^Esir  loved 
and  cared  for.  The  gods  had  already  built  a  wall  around 
Midgard,  the  world  of  men,  to  keep  the  giants  out; 
built  it  of  the  bushy  eyebrows  of  Ymir,  the  oldest  and 
hugest  of  giants.  Between  Asgard  and  the  giants  flowed 
Ifing,  the  great  river  on  which  ice  never  formed,  and 
which  the  gods  crossed  on  the  rainbow  bridge.  But 
this  was  not  protection  enough.  Their  beautiful  new 
city  needed  a  fortress. 

So  the  word  went  forth  in  Asgard:  "We  must  build 
us  a  fortress  against  the  giants;  the  hugest,  strongest, 
finest  fortress  that  ever  was  built." 

Now  one  day,  soon  after  they  had  announced  this 
decision,  there  came  a  mighty  man  stalking  up  the  rain 
bow  bridge  that  led  to  Asgard  city. 

"Who  goes  there  I"  cried  Heimdal  the  watchman, 
whose  eyes  were  so  keen  that  he  could  see  for  a  hundred 
miles  around,  and  whose  ears  were  so  sharp  that  he 
could  hear  the  grass  growing  in  the  meadow  and  the 
wool  on  the  backs  of  the  sheep.  "Who  goes  there!  No 
one  can  enter  Asgard  if  I  say  no," 


302  Myths  Every  Child,  Should  Know 

"I  am  a  builder,"  said  the  stranger,  who  was  a  huge 
fellow  with  sleeves  rolled  up  to  show  the  iron  muscles 
of  his  arms.  "I  am  a  builder  of  strong  towers,  and  I 
have  heard  that  the  folk  of  Asgard  need  one  to  help 
them  raise  a  fair  fortress  in  their  city." 

Heimdal  looked  at  the  stranger  narrowly,  for  there 
was  that  about  him  which  his  sharp  eyes  did  not  like. 
But  he  made  no  answer,  only  blew  on  his  golden  horn, 
which  was  so  loud  that  it  sounded  through  all  the  world. 
At  this  signal  all  the  ^Esir  came  running  to  the  rainbow 
bridge,  from  wherever  they  happened  to  be,  to  find  out 
who  was  coming  to  Asgard.  For  it  was  Heimdal's  duty 
ever  to  warn  them  of  the  approach  of  the  unknown. 

"This  fellow  says  he  is  a  builder,"  quoth  Heimdal. 
"And  he  would  fain  build  us  a  fortress  in  the  city." 

"Ay,  that  I  would,"  nodded  the  stranger.  "Look  at 
my  iron  arm;  look  at  my  broad  back;  look  at  my  shoul 
ders.  Am  I  not  the  workman  you  need  ? " 

"Truly,  he  is  a  mighty  figure,"  vowed  Odin,  looking 
at  him  approvingly.  "How  long  will  it  take  you  alone 
to  build  our  fortress  ?  We  can  allow  but  one  stranger 
at  a  time  within  our  city,  for  safety's  sake." 

"In  three  half-years,"  replied  the  stranger,  "I  will 
undertake  to  build  for  you  a  castle  so  strong  that  not 
even  the  giants,  should  they  swarm  hither  over  Midgard 
— not  even  they  could  enter  without  your  leave." 

"Aha!"  cried  Father  Odin,  well  pleased  at  this  offer. 
"And  what  reward  do  you  ask,  friend,  for  help  so 
timely?" 

The  stranger  hummed  and  hawed,  and  pulled  his  long 
beard  while  he  thought.  Then  he  spoke  suddenly,  as  if 
the  idea  had  just  come  into  his  mind.  "I  will  name  m}1 
price,  friends,"  he  said;  "a  small  price  for  so  great  a 


The  Giant  Builder  303 

deed.  I  ask  you  to  give  me  Freia  for  my  wife,  and  those 
two  sparkling  jewels,  the  Sun  and  Moon." 

At  this  demand  the  gods  looked  grave;  for  Freia  was 
their  dearest  treasure.  She  was  the  most  beautiful  maid 
who  ever  lived,  the  light  and  life  of  heaven,  and  if  she 
should  leave  Asgard,  joy  would  go  with  her;  while  the 
Sun  and  Moon  were  the  light  and  life  of  the  vEsir's  chil 
dren,  men,  who  lived  in  the  little  world  below.  But 
Loki  the  sly  whispered  that  they  would  be  safe  enough 
if  they  made  another  condition  on  their  part,  so  hard 
that  the  builder  could  not  fulfil  it.  After  thinking 
cautiously,  he  spoke  for  them  all. 

"Mighty  man,"  quoth  he,  "we  are  willing  to  agree  to 
your  price — upon  one  condition.  It  is  too  long  a  time 
that  you  ask;  we  cannot  wait  three  half-years  for  our 
castle;  that  is  equal  to  three  centuries  when  one  is  in  a 
hurry.  See  that  you  finish  the  fort  without  help  in  one 
winter,  one  short  winter,  and  you  shall  have  fair  Freia 
with  the  Sun  and  Moon.  But  if,  on  the  first  day  of 
summer,  one  stone  is  wanting  to  the  walls,  or  if  anyone 
has  given  you  aid  in  the  building,  then  your  reward  is 
lost,  and  you  shall  depart  without  payment."  So  spoke 
Loki,  in  the  name  of  all  the  gods;  but  the  plan  was  his 
own. 

At  first  the  stranger  shook  his  head  and  frowned,  say 
ing  that  in  so  short  a  time  no  one  unaided  could  complete 
the  undertaking.  At  last  he  made  another  offer.  "Let 
me  have  but  my  good  horse  to  help  me,  and  I  will  try," 
he  urged.  "Let  me  bring  the  useful  Svadilfori  with  me 
to  the  task,  and  I  will  finish  the  work  in  one  winter  of 
short  days,  or  lose  my  reward.  Surely,  you  will 
not  deny  me  this  little  help,  from  one  four-footed 
friend." 


304  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

Then  again  the  ^Esir  consulted,  and  the  wiser  of  them 
were  doubtful  whether  it  were  best  to  accept  the  stranger's 
offer  so  strangely  made.  But  again  Loki  urged  them  to 
accept.  "Surely,  there  is  no  harm,"  he  said.  "Even 
with  his  old  horse  to  help  him,  he  cannot  build  the  castle 
in  the  promised  time.  We  shall  gain  a  fortress  without 
trouble  and  with  never  a  price  to  pay." 

Loki  was  so  eager  that,  although  the  other  ^Esir  did 
not  like  this  crafty  way  of  making  bargains,  they  finally 
consented.  Then  in  the  presence  of  the  heroes,  with 
the  Valkyries  and  Mimer's  head  for  witnesses,  the 
stranger  and  the  ^Esir  gave  solemn  promise  that  the  bar 
gain  should  be  kept. 

On  the  first  day  of  winter  the  strange  builder  began 
his  work,  and  wondrous  was  the  way  he  set  about  it. 
His  strength  seemed  as  the  strength  of  a  hundred  men. 
As  for  his  horse  Svadilfori,  he  did  more  work  by  half 
than  even  the  mighty  builder.  In  the  night  he  dragged 
the  enormous  rocks  that  were  to  be  used  in  building  the 
castle,  rocks  as  big  as  mountains  of  the  earth;  while  in 
the  daytime  the  stranger  piled  them  into  place  with  his 
iron  arms.  The  ^Esir  watched  him  with  amazement; 
never  was  seen  such  strength  in  Asgard.  Neither  Tyr 
the  stout  nor  Thor  the  strong  could  match  the  power 
of  the  stranger.  The  gods  began  to  look  at  one  another 
uneasily.  Who  was  this  mighty  one  who  had  come 
among  them,  and  what  if  after  all  he  should  win  his 
reward?  Freia  trembled  in  her  palace,  and  the  Sun 
and  Moon  grew  dim  with  fear. 

Still  the  work  went  on,  and  the  fort  was  piling  higher 
and  higher,  by  day  and  by  night.  There  were  but  three 
days  left  before  the  end  of  winter,  and  already  the  building 
was  so  tall  and  so  strong  that  it  was  safe  from  the  attacks 


The  Giant  Builder  305 

of  any  giant.  The  /Esir  were  delighted  with  their  fine 
new  castle ;  but  their  pride  was  dimmed  by  the  fear  that 
it  must  be  paid  for  at  all  too  costly  a  price.  For  only 
the  gateway  remained  to  be  completed,  and  unless  the 
stranger  should  fail  to  finish  that  in  the  next  three  days, 
they  must  give  him  Freia  with  the  Sun  and  Moon. 

The  ^Esir  held  a  meeting  upon  Ida  Plain,  a  meeting 
full  of  fear  and  anger.  At  last  they  realised  what  they 
had  done;  they  had  made  a  bargain  with  one  of  the 
giants,  their  enemies;  and  if  he  won  the  prize,  it  would 
mean  sorrow  and  darkness  in  heaven  and  upon  earth. 
"How  did  we  happen  to  agree  to  so  mad  a  bargain?" 
they  asked  one  another.  "Who  suggested  the  wicked 
plan  which  bids  fair  to  cost  us  all  that  we  most  cherish  ?  " 
Then  they  remembered  that  it  was  Loki  who  had  made 
the  plan;  it  was  he  who  had  insisted  that  it  be  carried 
out;  and  they  blamed  him  for  all  the  trouble. 

"It  is  your  counsels,  Loki,  that  have  brought  this 
danger  upon  us,"  quoth  Father  Odin,  frowning.  "You 
chose  the  way  of  guile,  which  is  not  our  way.  It  now 
remains  for  you  to  help  us  by  guile,  if  you  can.  But  if 
you  cannot  save  for  us  Freia  and  the  Sun  and  Moon, 
you  shall  die.  This  is  my  word."  All  the  other  J£sir 
agreed  that  this  was  just.  Thor  alone  was  away  hunting 
evil  demons  at  the  other  end  of  the  world,  so  he  did  not 
know  what  was  going  on,  and  what  dangers  were  threat 
ening  Asgard. 

Loki  was  much  frightened  at  the  word  of  All-Father. 
"It  was  my  fault,"  he  cried,  "but  how  was  I  to  know 
that  he  was  a  giant?  He  had  disguised  himself  so  that 
he  seemed  but  a  strong  man.  And  as  for  his  horse — it 
looks  much  like  that  of  other  folk.  If  it  were  not  for 
the  horse,  he  could  not  finish  the  work.  Hal  I  have  a 


306  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

thought!  The  builder  shall  not  finish  the  gate;  the 
giant  shall  not  receive  his  payment.  I  will  cheat  the 
fellow." 

Now  it  was  the  last  night  of  winter,  and  there  remained 
but  a  few  stones  to  put  in  place  on  the  top  of  the  wondrous 
gateway.  The  giant  was  sure  of  his  prize,  and  chuckled 
to  himself  as  he  went  out  with  his  horse  to  drag  the 
remaining  stones;  for  he  did  not  know  that  the  JEsir 
had  guessed  at  last  who  he  was,  and  that  Loki  was  plotting 
to  outwit  him.  Hardly  had  he  gone  to  work  when  out 
of  the  wood  came  running  a  pretty  little  mare,  who 
neighed  to  Svadilfori  as  if  inviting  the  tired  horse  to 
leave  his  work  and  come  to  the  green  fields  for  a 
holiday. 

Svadilfori,  you  must  remember,  had  been  working 
hard  all  winter,  with  never  a  sight  of  four-footed  creature 
of  his  kind,  and  he  was  very  lonesome  and  tired  of  drag 
ging  stones.  Giving  a  snort  of  disobedience,  off  he  ran 
after  this  new  friend  toward  the  grassy  meadows.  Off 
went  the  giant  after  him,  howling  with  rage,  and  running 
for  dear  life,  as  he  saw  not  only  his  horse  but  his  chance 
of  success  slipping  out  of  reach.  It  was  a  mad  chase, 
and  all  Asgard  thundered  with  the  noise  of  galloping 
hoofs  and  the  giant 's  mighty  tread.  The  mare  who 
raced  ahead  was  Loki  in  disguise,  and  he  led 
Svadilfori  far  out  of  reach,  to  a  hidden  meadow 
that  he  knew;  so  that  the  giant  howled  and  panted  up 
and  down  all  night  long,  without  catching  even  a  sight 
of  his  horse. 

Now  when  the  morning  came  the  gateway  was  still 
unfinished,  and  night  and  winter  had  ended  at  the  same 
hour.  The  giant's  time  was  over,  and  he  had  forfeited 
his  reward.  The  ^Esir  came  flocking  to  the  gateway, 


The  Giant  Builder  307 

and  how  they  laughed  and  triumphed  when  they  found 
three  stones  wanting  to  complete  the  gate! 

"You  have  failed,  fellow,"  judged  Father  Odin  sternly, 
"and  no  price  shall  we  pay  for  work  that  is  still  undone. 
You  have  failed.  Leave  Asgard  quickly;  we  have  seen 
all  we  want  of  you  and  of  your  race." 

Then  the  giant  knew  that  he  was  discovered,  and  he 
was  mad  with  rage.  "It  was  a  trick!"  he  bellowed, 
assuming  his  own  proper  form,  which  was  huge  as  a 
mountain,  and  towered  high  beside  the  fortress  that  he 
had  built.  "It  was  a  wicked  trick.  You  shall  pay  for 
this  in  one  way  or  another.  I  cannot  tear  down  the  castle 
which,  ungrateful  ones,  I  have  built  you,  stronger  than 
the  strength  of  any  giant.  But  I  will  demolish  the  rest 
of  your  shining  city!"  Indeed,  he  would  have  done  so 
in  his  mighty  rage;  but  at  this  moment  Thor,  whom 
Heimdal  had  called  from  the  end  of  the  earth  by  one 
blast  of  the  golden  horn,  came  rushing  to  the  rescue, 
drawn  in  his  chariot  of  goats.  Thor  jumped  to  the 
ground  close  beside  the  giant,  and  before  that  huge 
fellow  knew  what  had  happened,  his  head  was  rolling 
upon  the  ground  at  Father  Odin's  feet;  for  with  one 
blow  Thor  had  put  an  end  to  the  giant's  wickedness  and 
had  saved  Asgard. 

"This  is  the  reward  you  deserve!"  Thor  cried.  "Not 
Freia  nor  the  Sun  and  Moon,  but  the  death  that  I  have 
in  store  for  all  the  enemies  of  the  ^Esir." 

In  this  extraordinary  way  the  noble  city  of  Asgard 
was  made  safe  and  complete  by  the  addition  of  a  fortress 
which  no  one,  not  even  the  giant  who  built  it,  could 
injure,  it  was  so  wonder-strong.  But  always  at  the  top 
of  the  gate  were  lacking  three  great  stones  that  no  one 
was  mighty  enough  to  lift.  This  was  a  reminder  to  the 


308  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 


that  now  they  had  the  race  of  giants  for  their  ever 
lasting  enemies.  And  though  Loki's  trick  had  saved 
them  Freia,  and  for  the  world  the  Sun  and  Moon,  it 
was  the  beginning  of  trouble  in  Asgard  which  lasted  as 
long  as  Loki  lived  to  make  mischief  with  his  guile. 


CHAPTER  XII 

HOW  ODIN  LOST  HIS  EYE* 

IN  the  beginning  of  things,  before  there  was  any  world 
or  sun,  moon,  and  stars,  there  were  the  giants;  for  these 
were  the  oldest  creatures  that  ever  breathed.  They 
lived  in  Jotunheim,  the  land  of  frost  and  darkness,  and 
their  hearts  were  evil.  Next  came  the  gods,  the  g:x>d 
JEsir,  who  made  earth  and  sky  and  sea,  and  who  dwelt 
in  Asgard,  above  the  heavens.  Then  were  created  the 
queer  little  dwarfs,  who  lived  underground  in  the  caverns 
of  the  mountains,  working  at  their  mines  of  metal  and 
precious  stones.  Last  of  all,  the  gods  made  men  to 
dwell  in  Midgard,  the  good  world  that  we  know,  between 
which  and  the  glorious  home  of  the  ^Esir  stretched  Bifrost, 
the  bridge  of  rainbows. 

In  those  days,  folk  say,  there  was  a  mighty  ash  tree 
named  Yggdrasil,  so  vast  that  its  branches  shaded  the 
whole  earth  and  stretched  up  into  heaven  where  the 
yEsir  dwelt,  while  its  roots  sank  far  down  below  the 
lowest  depth.  In  the  branches  of  the  big  ash  tree 
lived  a  queer  family  of  creatures.  First,  there  was  a 
great  eagle,  who  was  wiser  than  any  bird  that  ever 
lived — except  the  two  ravens,  Thought  and  Memory, 
who  sat  upon  Father  Odin's  shoulders  and  told  him  the 
secrets  which  they  learned  in  their  flight  over  the  wide 
world.  Near  the  great  eagle  perched  a  hawk,  and  four 

*  Copyright  by  Houghton,  Mifflin  &  Co.    Permission  to  reprint  obtained. 
309 


3io  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

antlered  deer  browsed  among  the  buds  of  Yggdrasil. 
At  the  foot  of  the  tree  coiled  a  huge  serpent,  who  was 
always  gnawing  hungrily  at  its  roots,  with  a  whole  colony 
of  little  snakes  to  keep  him  company — so  many  that 
they  could  never  be  counted.  The  eagle  at  the  top  of 
the  tree  and  the  serpent  at  its  foot  were  enemies,  always 
saying  hard  things  of  each  other.  Between  the  two 
skipped  up  and  down  a  little  squirrel,  a  tale  bearer  and 
a  gossip,  who  repeated  each  unkind  remark  and,  like 
the  malicious  neighbour  that  he  was,  kept  their  quarrel 
ever  fresh  and  green. 

Tn  one  place  at  the  roots  of  Yggdrasil  was  a  fair  foun 
tain  called  the  Urdar-well,  where  the  three  Norn  maidens, 
who  knew  the  past,  present,  and  future,  dwelt  with  their 
pets,  the  two  white  swans.  This  was  magic  water  in 
the  fountain,  which  the  Norns  sprinkled  every  day  upon 
the  giant  tree  to  keep  it  green — water  so  sacred  that 
everything  which  entered  it  became  white  as  the  film 
of  an  eggshell.  Close  beside  this  sacred  well  the  ^sir 
had  their  council  hall,  to  which  they  galloped  every 
morning  over  the  rainbow  bridge. 

But  Father  Odin,  the  king  of  all  the  ^Esir,  knew  of 
another  fountain  more  wonderful  still;  the  two  ravens 
whom  he  sent  forth  to  bring  him  news  had  told  him. 
This  also  was  below  the  roots  of  Yggdrasil,  in  the  spot 
where  the  sky  and  ocean  met.  Here  for  centuries  and 
centuries  the  giant  Mimer  had  sat  keeping  guard  over 
his  hidden  well,  in  the  bottom  of  which  lay  such  a  treasure 
of  wisdom  as  was  to  be  found  nowhere  else  in  the  world. 
Every  morning  Mimer  dipped  his  glittering  horn  Gioll 
into  the  fountain  and  drew  out  a  draught  of  the  wondrous 
water,  which  he  drank  to  make  him  wise.  Every  day 
he  grew  wiser  and  wiser;  and  as  this  had  been  going  on 


How  Odin  Lost  His  Eye  311 

ever  since  the  beginning  of  things,  you  can  scarcely 
imagine  how  wise  Mimer  was. 

Now  it  did  not  seem  right  to  Father  Odin  that  a  giant 
should  have  all  this  wisdom  to  himself;  for  the  giants 
were  the  enemies  of  the  ^Esir,  and  the  wisdom  which 
they  had  been  hoarding  for  ages  before  the  gods  were 
made  was  generally  used  for  evil  purposes.  Moreover, 
Odin  longed  and  longed  to  become  the  wisest  being  in 
the  world.  So  he  resolved  to  win  a  draught  from  Mimer's 
well,  if  in  any  way  that  could  be  done. 

One  night,  when  the  sun  had  set  behind  the  mountains 
of  Midgard,  Odin  put  on  his  broad-brimmed  hat  and 
his  striped  cloak,  and  taking  his  famous  staff  in  his  hand, 
trudged  down  the  long  bridge  to  where  it  ended  by 
Mimer's  secret  grotto. 

"Good-day,  Mimer,"  said  Odin,  entering;  "I  have 
come  for  a  drink  from  your  well." 

The  giant  was  sitting  with  his  knees  drawn  up  to  his 
chin,  his  long  white  beard  falling  over  his  folded  arms, 
and  his  head  nodding;  for  Mimer  was  very  old,  and  he 
often  fell  asleep  while  watching  over  his  precious  spring. 
He  woke  with  a  frown  at  Odin's  words.  "You  want 
a  drink  from  my  well,  do  you?"  he  growled.  "Hey! 
I  let  no  one  drink  from  my  well." 

"Nevertheless,  you  must  let  me  have  a  draught  from 
your  glittering  horn,"  insisted  Odin,  "and  I  will  pay 
you  for  it." 

"  Oho,  you  will  pay  me  for  it,  will  you  ?  "  echoed  Mimer, 
eyeing  his  visitor  keenly.  For  now  that  he  was  wide 
awake,  his  wisdom  taught  him  that  this  was  no  ordinary 
•stranger.  "What  will  you  pay  for  a  drink  from  my 
well,  and  why  do  you  wish  it  so  much?" 

"I  can  see  with  my  eyes  all  that  goes  on  in  heaven 


312  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

and  upon  earth,"  said  Odin,  "but  I  cannot  see  into  the 
depths  of  ocean.  I  lack  the  hidden  wisdom  of  the  deep 
— the  wit  that  lies  at  the  bottom  of  your  fountain.  My 
ravens  tell  me  many  secrets;  but  I  would  know  all. 
And  as  for  payment,  ask  what  you  will,  and  I  will  pledge 
anything  in  return  for  the  draught  of  wisdom." 

Then  Mimer 's  keen  glance  grew  keener.  "You  are 
Odin,  of  the  race  of  gods,"  he  cried.  "We  giants  are 
centuries  older  than  you,  and  our  wisdom  which  we 
have  treasured  during  these  ages,  when  we  were  the  only 
creatures  in  all  space,  is  a  precious  thing.  If  I  grant 
you  a  draught  from  my  well,  you  will  become  as  one  of 
us,  a  wise  and  dangerous  enemy.  It  is  a  goodly  price, 
Odin,  which  I  shall  demand  for  a  boon  so  great." 

Now  Odin  was  growing  impatient  for  the  sparkling 
water.  "Ask  your  price,"  he  frowned.  "I  have  prom 
ised  that  I  will  pay." 

"What  say  you,  then,  to  leaving  one  of  those  far- 
seeing  eyes  of  yours  at  the  bottom  of  my  well?"  asked 
Mimer,  hoping  that  he  would  refuse  the  bargain.  "This 
is  the  only  payment  I  will  take." 

Odin  hesitated.  It  was  indeed  a  heavy  price,  and  one 
that  he  could  ill  afford,  for  he  was  proud  of  his  noble 
beauty.  But  he  glanced  at  the  magic  fountain  bubbling 
mysteriously  in  the  shadow,  and  he  knew  that  he  must 
have  the  draught. 

"Give  me  the  glittering  horn,"  he  answered.  "I 
pledge  you  my  eye  for  a  draught  to  the  brim." 

Very  unwillingly  Mimer  filled  the  horn  from  the 
fountain  of  wisdom  and  handed  it  to  Odin.  "Drink, 
then,"  he  said;  "drink  and  grow  wise.  This  hour  is 
the  beginning  of  trouble  between  your  race  and  mine." 
And  wise  Mimer  foretold  the  truth. 


How  Odin  Lost  His  Eye  313 

Odin  thought  merely  of  the  wisdom  which  was  to  be 
his.  He  seized  the  horn  eagerly,  and  emptied  it  without 
delay.  From  that  moment  he  became  wiser  than  any 
one  else  in  the  world  except  Mimer  himself. 

Now  he  had  the  price  to  pay,  which  was  not  so  pleasant. 
When  he  went  away  from  the  grotto,  he  left  at  the  bottom 
of  the  dark  pool  one  of  his  fiery  eyes,  which  twinkled 
and  winked  up  through  the  magic  depths  like  the  reflec 
tion  of  a  star.  This  is  how  Odin  lost  his  eye,  and  why 
from  that  day  he  was  careful  to  pull  his  gray  hat  low 
over  his  face  when  he  wanted  to  pass  unnoticed.  For 
by  this  oddity  folk  could  easily  recognise  the  wise  lord  of 
Asgard. 

In  the  bright  morning,  when  the  sun  rose  over  the 
mountains  of  Midgard,  old  Mimer  drank  from  his 
bubbly  well  a  draught  of  the  wise  water  that  flowed  over 
Odin's  pledge.  Doing  so,  from  his  underground  grotto 
he  saw  all  that  befell  in  heaven  and  on  earth.  So  that 
he  also  was  wiser  by  the  bargain.  Mimer  seemed  to 
have  secured  rather  the  best  of  it;  for  he  lost  nothing 
that  he  could  not  spare,  while  Odin  lost  what  no  man 
can  well  part  with — one  of  the  good  windows  where 
through  his  heart  looks  out  upon  the  world.  But  there 
was  a  sequel  to  these  doings  which  made  the  balance 
swing  down  in  Odin's  favour. 

Not  long  after  this,  the  ^Esir  quarrelled  with  the  Vanir, 
wild  enemies  of  theirs,  and  there  was  a  terrible  battle. 
But  in  the  end  the  two  sides  made  peace;  and  to  prove 
that  they  meant  never  to  quarrel  again,  they  exchanged 
hostages.  The  Vanir  gave  to  the  ^sir  old  Niord  the 
rich,  the  lord  of  the  sea  and  the  ocean  wind,  with  his 
two  children,  Frey  and  Freia.  This  was  indeed  a  gra 
cious  gift;  for  Freia  was  the  most  beautiful  maid  in  the 


314  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

world,  and  her  twin  brother  was  almost  as  fair.  To  the 
Vanir  in  return  Father  Odin  gave  his  own  brother  Hoenir. 
And  with  Hoenir  he  sent  Mimer  the  wise,  whom  he  took 
from  his  lonely  well. 

Now  the  Vanir  made  Hoenir  their  chief,  thinking  that 
he  must  be  very  wise  because  he  was  the  brother  of  great 
Odin,  who  had  lately  become  famous  for  his  wisdom. 
They  did  not  know  the  secret  of  Mimer's  well,  how  the 
hoary  old  giant  was  far  more  wise  than  anyone  who 
had  not  quaffed  of  the  magic  water.  It  is  true  that  in  the 
assemblies  of  the  Vanir  Hoenir  gave  excellent  counsel. 
But  this  was  because  Mimer  whispered  in  Hoenir's  ear 
all  the  wisdom  that  he  uttered.  Witless  Hcenir  was  quite 
helpless  without  his  aid,  and  did  not  know  what  to  do 
or  say.  Whenever  Mimer  was  absent  he  would  look 
nervous  and  frightened,  and  if  folk  questioned  him  he 
always  answered: 

"Yes,  ah  yes!    Now  go  and  consult  someone  else." 

Of  course  the  Vanir  soon  grew  very  angry  at  such 
silly  answers  from  their  chief,  and  presently  they  began 
to  suspect  the  truth.  "Odin  has  deceived  us,"  they 
said.  "He  has  sent  us  his  foolish  brother  with  a  witch 
to  tell  him  what  to  say.  Ha!  We  will  show  him  that  we 
understand  the  trick."  So  they  cut  off  poor  old  Mimer's 
head  and  sent  it  to  Odin  as  a  present. 

The  tales  do  not  say  what  Odin  thought  of  the  gift. 
Perhaps  he  was  glad  that  now  there  was  no  one  in  the 
whole  world  who  could  be  called  so  wise  as  himself. 
Perhaps  he  was  sorry  for  the  danger  into  which  he 
had  thrust  a  poor  old  giant  who  had  never  done  him  any 
wrong,  except  to  be  a  giant  of  the  race  which  the  ^Esir 
hated.  Perhaps  he  was  a  little  ashamed  of  the  trick 
which  he  had  played  the  Vanir.  Odin's  new  wisdon? 


How  Odin  Lost  His  Eye  315 

showed  him  how  to  prepare  Mimer's  head  with  herbs 
and  charms,  so  that  it  stood  up  by  itself  quite  naturally 
and  seemed  not  dead.  Thenceforth  Odin  kept  it  near 
him,  and  learned  from  it  many  useful  secrets  which  it  had 
not  forgotten. 

So  in  the  end  Odin  fared  better  than  the  unhappy 
Mimer,  whose  worst  fault  was  that  he  knew  more  than 
most  folk.  That  is  a  dangerous  fault,  as  others  have 
found;  though  it  is  not  one  for  which  many  of  us  need 
fear  being  punished. 


CHAPTER 

THE  QUEST  OF  THE  HAMMER 

ONE  morning  Thor  the  Thunderer  awoke  with  a 
yawn,  and  stretching  out  his  knotted  arm,  felt  for  his 
precious  hammer,  which  he  kept  always  under  his 
pillow  of  clouds.  But  he  started  up  with  a  roar  of  rage, 
so  that  all  the  palace  trembled.  The  hammer  was 
gone! 

Now  this  was  a  very  serious  matter,  for  Thor  was  the 
protector  of  Asgard,  and  Miolnir,  the  magic  hammer 
which  the  dwarf  had  made,  was  his  mighty  weapon,  of 
which  the  enemies  of  the  JLsir  stood  so  much  in  dread 
that  they  dared  not  venture  near.  But  if  they  should 
learn  that  Miolnir  was  gone,  who  could  tell  what  danger 
might  not  threaten  the  palaces  of  heaven  ? 

Thor  darted  his  flashing  eye  into  every  corner  of 
Cloud  Land  in  search  of  the  hammer.  He  called  his 
fair  wife,  Sif  of  the  golden  hair,  to  aid  in  the  search,  and 
his  two  lovely  daughters,  Thrude  and  Lora.  They 
hunted  and  they  hunted;  they  turned  Thrudheim  upside 
down,  and  set  the  clouds  to  rolling  wonderfully,  as  they 
peeped  and  pried  behind  and  around  and  under  each 
billowy  mass.  But  Miolnir  was  not  to  be  found.  Cer 
tainly,  someone  had  stolen  it. 

Thor's  yellow  beard  quivered  with  rage,  and  his  hair 
bristled  on  end  like  the  golden  rays  of  a  star,  while  all  his 
household  trembled. 

316 


The  Quest  of  the  Hammer  317 

"It  is  Loki  again!"  he  cried.  "I  am  sure  Loki  is  at 
the  bottom  of  this  mischief!"  For  since  the  time  when 
Thor  had  captured  Loki  for  the  dwarf  Brock  and  had 
given  him  over  to  have  his  bragging  lips  sewed  up,  Loki 
had  looked  at  him  with  evil  eyes;  and  Thor  knew  that  the 
red  rascal  hated  him  most  of  all  the  gods. 

But  this  time  Thor  was  mistaken.  It  was  not  Loki 
who  had  stolen  the  hammer — he  was  too  great  a  coward 
for  that.  And  though  he  meant,  before  the  end,  to  be 
revenged  upon  Thor,  he  was  waiting  until  a  safe  chance 
should  come,  when  Thor  himself  might  stumble  into 
danger,  and  Loki  need  only  to  help  the  evil  by  a  malicious 
word  or  two;  and  this  chance  came  later,  as  you  shall 
hear  in  another  tale. 

Meanwhile  Loki  was  on  his  best  behaviour,  trying  to 
appear  very  kind  and  obliging;  so  when  Thor  came  rum 
bling  and  roaring  up  to  him,  demanding,  "What  have  you 
done  with  my  hammer,  you  thief?"  Loki  looked  sur 
prised,  but  did  not  lose  his  temper  nor  answer  rudely. 

"Have  you  indeed  missed  your  hammer,  brother 
Thor?"  he  said,  mumbling,  for  his  mouth  was  still  sore 
where  Brock  had  sewed  the  stitches.  "That  is  a  pity; 
for  if  the  giants  hear  of  this,  they  will  be  coming  to  try 
their  might  against  Asgard." 

"Hush!"  muttered  Thor,  grasping  him  by  the  shoulder 
with  his  iron  fingers.  "That  is  what  I  fear.  But 
look  you,  Loki:  I  suspect  your  hand  in  the  mischief. 
Come,  confess." 

Then  Loki  protested  that  he  had  nothing  to  do  with 
so  wicked  a  deed.  "But,"  he  added  wheedlingly,  "I 
think  I  can  guess  the  thief;  and  because  I  love  you,  Thor, 
I  will  help  you  to  find  him." 

"Humph!"  growled  Thor.    "Much  love  you  bear  to 


3i8  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

me!  However,  you  are  a  wise  rascal,  the  nimblest  wit 
of  all  the  ^Esir,  and  it  is  better  to  have  you  on  my  side  than 
on  the  other,  when  giants  are  in  the  game.  Tell  me,  then  : 
who  has  robbed  the  Thunder  Lord  of  his  bolt  of  power  ?  " 

Loki  drew  near  and  whispered  in  Thor's  ear.  "Look, 
how  the  storms  rage  and  the  winds  howl  in  the  world 
below!  Someone  is  wielding  your  thunder  hammer  all 
unskilfully.  Can  you  not  guess  the  thief?  Who  but 
Thrym,  the  mighty  giant  who  has  ever  been  your  enemy 
and  your  imitator,  and  whose  fingers  have  long  itched 
to  grasp  the  short  handle  of  mighty  Miolnir,  that  the 
world  may  name  him  Thunder  Lord  instead  of  you. 
But  look !  What  a  tempest !  The  world  will  be  shattered 
into  fragments  unless  we  soon  get  the  hammer  back." 

Then  Thor  roared  with  rage.  "I  will  seek  this 
impudent  Thrym!"  he  cried.  "I  will  crush  him  into 
bits,  and  teach  him  to  meddle  with  the  weapon  of  the 
^Esir!" 

"Softly,  softly,"  said  Loki,  smiling  maliciously. 
"He  is  a  shrewd  giant,  and  a  mighty.  Even  you,  great 
Thor,  cannot  go  to  him  and  pluck  the  hammer  from  his 
hand  as  one  would  slip  the  rattle  from  a  baby's  pink  fist. 
Nay,  you  must  use  craft,  Thor ;  and  it  is  I  who  will  teach 
you,  if  you  will  be  patient." 

Thor  was  a  brave,  blunt  fellow,  and  he  hated  the  ways 
of  Loki,  his  lies  and  his  deceit.  He  liked  best  the  way  of 
warriors — the  thundering  charge,  the  flash  of  weapons, 
and  the  heavy  blow;  but  without  the  hammer  he  could 
not  fight  the  giants  hand  to  hand.  Loki's  advice  seemed 
wise,  and  he  decided  to  leave  the  matter  to  the  Red  One. 

Loki  was  now  all  eagerness,  for  he  loved  difficulties 
which  would  set  his  wit  in  play  and  bring  other  folk  into 
danger.  "Look,  now,"  he  said.  "We  must  go  to 


The  Quest  of  the  Hammer  319 

Freia  and  borrow  her  falcon  dress.  But  you  must  ask; 
for  she  loves  me  so  little  that  she  would  scarce  listen  to 
me." 

So  first  they  made  their  way  to  Folkvang,  the  house 
of  maidens,  where  Freia  dwelt,  the  loveliest  of  all  in 
Asgard.  She  was  fairer  than  fair,  and  sweeter  than 
sweet,  and  the  tears  from  her  flower  eyes  made  the  dew 
which  blessed  the  earth  flowers  night  and  morning. 
Of  her  Thor  borrowed  the  magic  dress  of  feathers  in  which 
Freia  was  wont  to  clothe  herself  and  flit  like  a  great 
beautiful  bird  all  about  the  world.  She  was  willing 
enough  to  lend  it  to  Thor  when  he  told  her  that  by  its 
aid  he  hoped  to  win  back  the  hammer  which  he  had  lost; 
for  she  well  knew  the  danger  threatening  herself  and  all 
the  ^Esir  until  Miolnir  should  be  found. 

"Now  will  I  fetch  the  hammer  for  you,"  said  Loki. 
So  he  put  on  the  falcon  plumage,  and,  spreading  his 
brown  wings,  flapped  away  up,  up,  over  the  world,  down, 
down,  across  the  great  ocean  which  lies  beyond  all  things 
that  men  know.  And  he  came  to  the  dark  country 
where  there  was  no  sunshine  nor  spring,  but  it  was  always 
dreary  winter;  where  mountains  were  piled  up  like 
blocks  of  ice,  and  where  great  caverns  yawned  hungrily 
in  blackness.  And  this  was  Jotunheim,  the  land  of  the 
Frost  Giants. 

And  lo!  when  Loki  came  thereto  he  found  Thrym  the 
Giant  King  sitting  outside  his  palace  cave,  playing  with 
his  dogs  and  horses.  The  dogs  were  as  big  as  elephants, 
and  the  horses  were  as  big  as  houses,  but  Thrym  himself 
was  as  huge  as  a  mountain;  and  Loki  trembled,  but  he 
tried  to  seem  brave. 

"Good-day,  Loki,"  said  Thrym,  with  the  terrible  voice 
of  which  he  was  so  proud,  for  he  fancied  it  was  as  loud  as 


320  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

Thor's.  "How  fares  it,  feathered  one,  with  your  Uttle 
brothers,  the  ^Esir,  in  Asgard  halls  ?  And  how  dare  you 
venture  alone  in  this  guise  to  Giant  Land  ?  " 

"It  is  an  ill  day  in  Asgard,"  sighed  Loki,  keeping  his 
eye  warily  upon  the  giant,  "and  a  stormy  one  in  the 
world  of  men.  I  heard  the  winds  howling  and  the 
storms  rushing  on  the  earth  as  I  passed  by.  Some 
mighty  one  has  stolen  the  hammer  of  our  Thor.  Is  it 
you,  Thrym,  greatest  of  all  giants — greater  than  Thor 
himself?" 

This  the  crafty  one  said  to  flatter  Thrym,  for  Loki 
well  knew  the  weakness  of  those  who  love  to  be  thought 
greater  than  they  are. 

Then  Thrym  bridled  and  swelled  with  pride,  and  tried 
to  put  on  the  majesty  and  awe  of  noble  Thor;  but  he  only 
succeeded  in  becoming  an  ugly,  puffy  monster. 

"Well,  yes,"  he  admitted.  "I  have  the  hammer  that 
belonged  to  your  little  Thor;  and  now  how  much  of  a 
lord  is  he?" 

"Alack!"  sighed  Loki  again,  "weak  enough  he  is 
without  his  magic  weapon.  But  you,  O  Thrym — surely 
your  mightiness  needs  no  such  aid.  Give  me  the  hammer, 
that  Asgard  may  no  longer  be  shaken  by  Thor's  grief  for 
his  precious  toy." 

But  Thrym  was  not  so  easily  to  be  flattered  into  parting 
with  his  stolen  treasure.  He  grinned  a  dreadful  grin, 
several  yards  in  width,  which  his  teeth  barred  like  jagged 
boulders  across  the  entrance  to  a  mountain  cavern. 

"Miolnir  the  hammer  is  mine,"  he  said,  "and  I  am 
Thunder  Lord,  mightiest  of  the  mighty.  I  have  hidden 
it  where  Thor  can  never  find  it,  twelve  leagues  below  the 
sea  caves,  where  Queen  Ran  lives  with  her  daughters, 
the  white-capped  Waves.  But  listen,  Loki,  Go  tell 


The  Quest  oj  the  Hammer  321 

the  ^Esir  that  I  will  give  back  Thor's  hammer.  I  will 
give  it  back  upon  one  condition — that  they  send  Freia 
the  beautiful  to  be  my  wife." 

"Freia  the  beautiful!"  Loki  had  to  stifle  a  laugh. 
Fancy  the  ^Esir  giving  their  fairest  flower  to  such  an 
ugly  fellow  as  this!  But  he  only  said  politely,  "Ah,  yes; 
you  demand  our  Freia  in  exchange  for  the  little  hammer  ? 
It  is  a  costly  price,  great  Thrym.  But  I  will  be  your 
friend  in  Asgard.  If  I  have  my  way,  you  shall  soon  see 
the  fairest  bride  in  all  the  world  knocking  at  your  door. 
Farewell  I" 

So  Loki  whizzed  back  to  Asgard  on  his  falcon  wings; 
and  as  he  went  he  chuckled  to  think  of  the  evils  which 
were  likely  to  happen  because  of  his  words  with  Thrym. 
First  he  gave  the  message  to  Thor — not  sparing  of 
Thrym's  insolence,  to  make  Thor  angry;  and  then  he 
went  to  Freia  with  the  word  for  her — not  sparing  of 
Thrym's  ugliness,  to  make  her  shudder.  The  spiteful 
fellow! 

Now  you  can  imagine  the  horror  that  was  in  Asgard  as 
the  jEsir  listened  to  Loki's  words.  "My  hammer!" 
roared  Thor.  "The  villain  confesses  that  he  has  stolen 
my  hammer,  and  boasts  that  he  is  Thunder  Lord  I 
Gr-r-r!" 

"The  ugly  giant!"  wailed  Freia.  "Must  I  be  the  bride 
of  that  hideous  old  monster,  and  live  in  his  gloomy  moun 
tain  prison  all  my  life?" 

"Yes;  put  on  your  bridal  veil,  sweet  Freia,"  said  Loki 
maliciously,  "and  come  with  me  to  Jotunheim.  Hang 
your  famous  starry  necklace  about  your  neck,  and  don 
your  bravest  robe;  for  in  eight  days  there  will  be  a 
wedding,  and  Thor's  hammer  is  to  pay." 

Then  Freia  fell  to  weeping.    "I  cannot  go!    I  will  not 


322  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Knew 

go!"  she  cried.  "I  will  not  leave  the  home  of  gladness 
and  Father  Odin's  table  to  dwell  in  the  land  of  horrors! 
Thor's  hammer  is  mighty,  but  mightier  the  love  of  the 
kind  JEsiT  for  their  little  Freia !  Good  Odin,  dear  brother 
Frey,  speak  for  me !  You  will  not  make  me  go  ?  " 

The  ^Esir  looked  at  her  and  thought  how  lonely  and 
bare  would  Asgard  he  without  her  loveliness;  for  she  was 
fairer  than  fair,  and  sweeter  than  sweet. 

"She  shall  not  go!"  shouted  Frey,  putting  his  arms 
about  his  sister's  neck. 

"No,  she  shall  not  gol"  cried  all  the  ^Esir  with  one 
voice. 

"But  my  hammer,"  insisted  Thor.  "I  must  have 
Miolnir  back  again." 

"And  my  word  to  Thrym,"  said  Loki,  "that  must  be 
made  good." 

"You  are  too  generous  with  your  words,"  said  Father 
Odin  sternly,  for  he  knew  his  brother  well.  "Your  word 
is  not  a  gem  of  great  price,  for  you  have  made  it  cheap." 

Then  spoke  Heimdal,  the  sleepless  watchman  who 
sits  on  guard  at  the  entrance  to  the  rainbow  bridge 
which  leads  to  Asgard;  and  Heimdal  was  the  wisest  of 
the  ^Esir,  for  he  could  see  into  the  future,  and  knew 
how  things  would  come  to  pass.  Through  his  golden 
teeth  he  spoke,  for  his  teeth  were  all  of  gold. 

"I  have  a  plan,"  he  said.  "Let  us  dress  Thor  himself 
like  a  bride  in  Freia's  robes,  and  send  him  to  Jotunheim 
to  talk  with  Thrym  and  to  win  back  his  hammer." 

But  at  this  word  Thor  grew  very  angry.  "What! 
dress  me  like  a  girl!"  he  roared.  "I  should  never  hear 
the  last  of  it!  The  j£sir  will  mock  me,  and  call  me 
'  maiden  '1  The  giants,  and  even  the  puny  dwarfs, 
will  have  a  lasting  jest  upon  met  I  will  not  go!  I  wiU 


The  Quest  o]  Hie  Hammer  323 

fight!  I  will  die,  if  need  be!  But  dressed  as  a  woman  I 
will  not  go!" 

But  Loki  answered  him  with  sharp  words,  for  this  was 
a  scheme  after  his  own  heart.  "What,  Thor!"  he  said. 
"Would  you  lose  your  hammer  and  keep  Asgard  in 
danger  for  so  small  a  whim  Look,  now:  if  you  go  not, 
Thrym  with  his  giants  will  come  in  a  mighty  army  and 
drive  us  from  Asgard;  then  he  will  indeed  make  Freia 
his  bride,  and,  moreover,  he  will  have  you  for  his  slave 
under  the  power  of  his  hammer.  How  like  you  this 
picture,  brother  of  the  thunder?  Nay,  Heimdal's  plan 
is  a  good  one,  and  I  myself  will  help  to  carry  it  out." 

Still  Thor  hesitated;  but  Freia  came  and  laid  her 
white  hand  on  his  arm,  and  looked  up  into  his  scowling 
face  pleadingly. 

"To  save  me,  Thor,"  she  begged.  And  Thor  said 
he  would  go. 

Then  there  was  great  sport  among  the  ^Esir,  while  they 
dressed  Thor  like  a  beautiful  maiden.  Brunhilde  and 
her  sisters,  the  nine  Valkyrie,  daughters  of  Odin,  had  the 
task  in  hand.  How  they  laughed  as  they  brushed  and 
curled  his  yellow  hair,  and  set  upon  it  the  wondrous 
headdress  of  silk  and  pearls!  They  let  out  seams,  and 
they  let  down  hems,  and  set  on  extra  pieces,  to  make  it 
larger,  and  so  they  hid  his  great  limbs  and  knotted  arms 
under  Freia's  fairest  robe  of  scarlet;  but  beneath  it  all  he 
would  wear  his  shirt  of  mail  and  his  belt  of  power  that 
gave  him  double  strength.  Freia  herself  twisted  about 
his  neck  her  famous  necklace  of  starry  jewels,  and  Queen 
Frigg,  his  mother,  hung  at  his  girdle  a  jingling  bunch  of 
keys,  such  as  was  the  custom  for  the  bride  to  wear  at 
Norse  weddings.  Last  of  all,  that  Thrym  might  not  see 
Thor's  fierce  eyes  and  the  yellow  beard,  that  ill  became 


324  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

a  maiden,  they  threw  over  him  a  long  veil  of  silver  white 
which  covered  him  to  the  feet.  And  there  he  stood,  as 
stately  and  tall  a  bride  as  even  a  giant  might  wish  to  see; 
but  on  his  hands  he  wore  his  iron  gloves,  and  they  ached 
for  but  one  thing — to  grasp  the  handle  of  the  stolen 
hammer. 

"Ah,  what  a  lovely  maid  it  is!"  chuckled  Loki;  "and 
how  glad  will  Thrym  be  to  see  this  Freia  come!  Bride 
Thor,  I  will  go  with  you  as  your  handmaiden,  for  I 
would  fain  see  the  fun." 

"Come,  then,"  said  Thor  sulkily,  for  he  was  ill  pleased, 
and  wore  his  maiden  robes  with  no  good  grace.  "It  is 
fitting  that  you  go;  for  I  like  not  these  lies  and  maskings, 
and  I  may  spoil  the  mummery  without  you  at  my 
elbow." 

There  was  loud  laughter  above  the  clouds  when  Thor, 
all  veiled  and  dainty  seeming,  drove  away  from  Asgard 
to  his  wedding,  with  maid  Loki  by  his  side.  Thor 
cracked  his  whip  and  chirruped  fiercely  to  his  twin  goats 
with  golden  hoofs,  for  he  wanted  to  escape  the  sounds  of 
mirth  that  echoed  from  the  rainbow  bridge,  where  all 
the  JEsir  stood  watching.  Loki,  sitting  with  his  hands 
meekly  folded  like  a  girl,  chuckled  as  he  glanced  up  at 
Thor's  angry  face;  but  he  said  nothing,  for  he  knew  it 
was  not  good  to  joke  too  far  with  Thor,  even  when 
Miolnir  was  hidden  twelve  leagues  below  the  sea  in 
Ran's  kingdom. 

So  off  they  dashed  to  Jotunheim,  where  Thrym  was 
waiting  and  longing  for  his  beautiful  bride.  Thor'c 
goats  thundered  along  above  the  sea  and  land  and  people 
far  below,  who  looked  up  wondering  as  the  noise  rolled 
overhead.  "Hear  how  the  thunder  rumbles!"  they  said. 
"Thor  is  on  a  long  journey  to-night."  And  a  long  jour- 


The  Quest  o]  the  Hammer  325 

ney  it  was,  as  the  tired  goats  found  before  they  reached 
the  end. 

Thrym  heard  the  sound  of  their  approach,  for  his  ear 
was  eager.  "Hola!"  he  cried.  "Someone  is  coming 
from  Asgard — only  one  of  Odin's  children  could  make 
a  din  so  fearful.  Hasten,  men,  and  see  if  they  are  bring 
ing  Freia  to  be  my  wife." 

Then  the  lookout  giant  stepped  down  from  the  top 
of  his  mountain,  and  said  that  a  chariot  was  bringing 
two  maidens  to  the  door. 

"Run,  giants,  run!"  shouted  Thrym,  in  a  fever  at 
this  news.  "My  bride  is  coming!  Put  silken  cushions 
on  the  benches  for  a  great  banquet,  and  make  the  house 
beautiful  for  the  fairest  maid  in  all  space!  Bring  in 
all  my  golden-horned  cows  and  my  coal-black  oxen, 
that  she  may  see  how  rich  I  am,  and  heap  all  my  gold 
and  jewels  about  to  dazzle  her  sweet  eyes!  She  shall 
find  me  richest  of  the  rich;  and  when  I  have  her — fairest 
of  the  fair — there  will  be  no  treasure  that  I  lack — not 
one!" 

The  chariot  stopped  at  the  gate,  and  out  stepped  the 
tall  bride,  hidden  from  head  to  foot,  and  her  handmaiden 
muffled  to  the  chin.  "How  afraid  of  catching  cold  they 
must  be!"  whispered  the  giant  ladies,  who  were  peering 
over  one  another's  shoulders  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  the 
bride,  just  as  the  crowd  outside  the  awning  does  at  a 
wedding  nowadays. 

Thrym  had  sent  six  splendid  servants  to  escort  the 
maidens:  these  were  the  Metal  Kings,  who  served  him 
as  lord  of  them  all.  There  was  the  Gold  King,  all  in 
cloth  of  gold,  with  fringes  of  yellow  bullion,  most  glitter 
ing  to  see;  and  there  was  the  Silver  King,  almost  as 
gorgeous  in  a  suit  of  spangled  white;  and  side  by  side 


326  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

bowed  the  dark  Kings  of  Iron  and  Lead,  the  one  mighty 
in  black,  the  other  sullen  in  blue;  and  after  them  were 
the  Copper  King,  gleaming  ruddy  and  brave,  and  the 
Tin  King,  strutting  in  his  trimmings  of  gaudy  tinsel 
which  looked  nearly  as  well  as  silver,  but  were  more 
economical.  And  this  fine  troop  of  lackey  kings  most 
politely  led  Thor  and  Loki  into  the  palace,  and  gave 
them  of  the  best,  for  they  never  suspected  who  these 
seeming  maidens  really  were. 

And  when  evening  came  there  was  a  wonderful  banquet 
to  celebrate  the  wedding.  On  a  golden  throne  sat 
Thrym,  uglier  than  ever  in  his  finery  of  purple  and  gold. 
Beside  him  was  the  bride,  of  whose  face  no  one  had  yet 
caught  even  a  glimpse ;  and  at  Thrym 's  other  hand  stood 
Loki,  the  waiting  maid,  for  he  wanted  to  be  near  to  mend 
the  mistakes  which  Thor  might  make. 

Now  the  dishes  at  the  feast  were  served  in  a  huge  way, 
as  befitted  the  table  of  giants:  great  beeves  roasted 
whole,  on  platters  as  wide  across  as  a  ship's  deck;  plum 
puddings  as  fat  as  feather  beds,  with  plums  as  big  as 
footballs;  and  a  wedding  cake  like  a  snow-capped  hay 
mow.  The  giants  ate  enormously.  But  to  Thor, 
because  they  thought  him  a  dainty  maiden,  they  served 
small  bits  of  everything  on  a  tiny  gold  dish.  Now  Thor's 
long  journey  had  made  him  very  hungry,  and  through 
his  veil  he  whispered  to  Loki,  "I  shall  starve,  Loki!  I 
cannot  fare  on  these  nibbles.  I  must  eat  a  goodly  meal 
as  I  do  at  home."  And  forthwith  he  helped  himself 
to  such  morsels  as  might  satisfy  his  hunger  for  a  little 
time.  You  should  have  seen  the  giants  stare  at  the  meal 
which  the  dainty  bride  devoured! 

For  first  under  the  silver  veil  disappeared  by  pieces  a 
whole  roast  ox.  Then  Thor  made  eight  mouthfuis  of 


The  Quest  of  the  Hammer  327 

eight  pink  salmon,  a  dish  of  which  he  was  very  fond. 
And  next  he  looked  about  and  reached  for  a  platter  of 
cakes  and  sweetmeats  that  was  set  aside  at  one  end  of 
the  table  for  the  lady  guests,  and  the  bride  ate  them  all. 
You  can  fancy  how  the  damsels  drew  down  their  mouths 
and  looked  at  one  another  when  they  saw  their  dessert 
disappear;  and  they  whispered  about  the  table,  "Alack! 
if  our  future  mistress  is  to  sup  like  this  day  by  day, 
there  will  be  poor  cheer  for  the  rest  of  us!"  And  to 
crown  it  all,  Thor  was  thirsty,  as  well  he  might  be;  and 
one  after  another  he  raised  to  his  lips  and  emptied  three 
great  barrels  of  mead,  the  foamy  drink  of  the  giants. 
Then  indeed  Thrym  was  amazed,  for  Thor's  giant  appe 
tite  had  beaten  that  of  the  giants  themselves. 

"Never  before  saw  I  a  bride  so  hungry,"  he  cried, 
"and  never  before  one  half  so  thirsty!" 

But  Loki,  the  waiting  maid,  whispered  to  him  softly, 
"The  truth  is,  great  Thrym,  that  my  dear  mistress  was 
almost  starved.  For  eight  days  Freia  has  eaten  nothing 
at  all,  so  eager  was  she  for  Jotunheim." 

Then  Thrym  was  delighted,  you  may  be  sure.  He 
forgave  his  hungry  bride,  and  loved  her  with  all  his 
heart.  He  leaned  forward  to  give  her  a  kiss,  raising  a 
corner  of  her  veil;  but  his  hand  dropped  suddenly,  and 
he  started  up  in  terror,  for  he  had  caught  the  angry 
flash  of  Thor's  eye,  which  was  glaring  at  him 
through  the  bridal  veil.  Thor  was  longing  for  his 
hammer. 

"Why  has  Freia  so  sharp  a  look?"  Thrym  cried. 
"It  pierces  like  lightning  and  burns  like  fire." 

But  again  the  sly  waiting  maid  whispered  timidly, 
"Oh,  Thrym,  be  not  amazed!  The  truth  is,  my  poor 
mistress's  eyes  are  red  with  wakefulness  and  bright 


328  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

with  longing.  For  eight  nights  Freia  has  not  known  a 
wink  of  sleep,  so  eager  was  she  for  Jotunheim." 

Then  again  Thrym  was  doubly  delighted,  and  he  longed 
to  call  her  his  very  own  dear  wife.  "Bring  in  the  wedding 
gift!"  he  cried.  "Bring  in  Thor's  hammer,  Miolnir, 
and  give  it  to  Freia,  as  I  promised ;  for  when  I  have  kept 
my  word  she  will  be  mine — all  mine  I " 

Then  Thor's  big  heart  laughed  under  his  woman's 
dress,  and  his  fierce  eyes  swept  eagerly  down  the  hall 
to  meet  the  servant  who  was  bringing  in  the  hammer 
on  a  velvet  cushion.  Thor's  fingers  could  hardly 
wait  to  clutch  the  stubby  handle  which  they  knew  so 
well;  but  he  sat  quite  still  on  the  throne  beside  ugly  old 
Thrym,  with  his  hands  meekly  folded  and  his  head 
bowed  like  a  bashful  bride. 

The  giant  servant  drew  nearer,  nearer,  puffing  and 
blowing,  strong  though  he  was,  beneath  the  mighty 
weight.  He  was  about  to  lay  it  at  Thor's  feet  (for  he 
thought  it  so  heavy  that  no  maiden  could  lift  it  or  hold 
it  in  her  lap),  when  suddenly  Thor's  heart  swelled,  and 
he  gave  a  most  unmaidenly  shout  of  rage  and  triumph. 
With  one  swoop  he  grasped  the  hammer  in  his  iron 
fingers;  with  the  other  arm  he  tore  off  the  veil  that  hid 
his  terrible  face,  and  trampled  it  under  foot;  then  he 
turned  to  the  frightened  king,  who  cowered  beside  him 
on  the  throne. 

"  Thief ! "  he  cried.  "  Freia  sends  you  this  as  a  wedding 
gift!"  And  he  whirled  the  hammer  about  his  head, 
then  hurled  it  once,  twice,  thrice,  as  it  rebounded  to  his 
hand;  and  in  the  first  stroke,  as  of  lightning,  Thrym 
rolled  dead  from  his  throne;  in  the  second  stroke  per 
ished  the  whole  giant  household — these  ugly  enemies  of 
the  ^Esir;  and  in  the  third  stroke  the  palace  itself  tumbled 


TJte  Quest  oj  the  Hammer  329 

together  and  fell  to  the  ground  like  a  toppling  playhouse 
of  blocks. 

But  Loki  and  Thor  stood  safely  among  the  ruins, 
dressed  in  their  tattered  maiden  robes,  a  quaint  and 
curious  sight;  and  Loki,  full  of  mischief  now  as  ever, 
burst  out  laughing. 

"Oh,  Thor!  if  you  could  see—"  he  began;  but  Thor 
held  up  his  hammer  and  shook  it  gently  as  he  said: 

"Look  now,  Loki:  it  was  an  excellent  joke,  and  so 
far  you  have  done  well — after  your  crafty  fashion,  which 
likes  me  not.  But  now  I  have  my  hammer  again,  and 
the  joke  is  done.  From  you,  nor  from  another,  I  brtA^k 
no  laughter  at  my  expense.  Henceforth  we  will  have  ao 
mention  of  this  masquerade,  nor  of  these  rags  which  now 
I  throw  away.  Do  you  hear,  red  laughter?" 

And  Loki  heard,  with  a  look  of  hate,  and  stifled  his 
laughter  as  best  he  could;  for  it  is  not  good  to  laugh 
at  him  who  holds  the  hammer. 

Not  once  after  that  was  there  mention  in  Asgard  of 
the  time  when  Thor  dressed  him  as  a  girl  and  won  his 
bridal  gift  from  Thrym  the  giant. 

But  Miolnir  was  safe  once  more  in  Asgard,  and  you 
and  I  know  how  it  came  there;  so  someone  must  have 
told.  I  wonder  if  red  Loki  whispered  the  tale  to  some 
outsider,  after  all?  Perhaps  it  may  be  so,  for  now  he 
knew  how  best  to  make  Thor  angry;  and  from  that  day 
when  Thor  forbade  his  laughing,  Loki  hated  him  with 
the  mean  little  hatred  of  a  mean  little  soul. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

THE  APPLES   OF  IDUN 

ONCE  upon  a  time  Odin,  Loki,  and  Keener  started 
on  a  journey.  They  had  often  travelled  together  before 
on  all  sorts  of  errands,  for  they  had  a  great  many  things 
to  look  after,  and  more  than  once  they  had  fallen  into 
trouble  through  the  prying,  meddlesome,  malicious  spirit 
of  Loke,  who  was  never  so  happy  as  when  he  was  doing 
wrong.  When  the  gods  went  on  a  journey  they  trav 
elled  fast  and  hard,  for  they  were  strong,  active  spirits 
who  loved  nothing  so  much  as  hard  work,  hard  blows, 
storm,  peril,  and  struggle.  There  were  no  roads  through 
the  country  over  which  they  made  their  way,  only  high 
mountains  to  be  climbed  by  rocky  paths,  deep  valleys 
into  which  the  sun  hardly  looked  during  half  the  year, 
and  swift-rushing  streams,  cold  as  ice,  and  treacherous 
to  the  surest  foot  and  the  strongest  arm.  Not  a  bird 
flew  through  the  air,  not  an  animal  sprang  through  the 
trees.  It  was  as  still  as  a  desert.  The  gods  walked 
on  and  on,  getting  more  tired  and  hungry  at 
every  step.  The  sun  was  sinking  low  over  the 
steep,  pine-crested  mountains,  and  the  travellers 
had  neither  breakfasted  nor  dined.  Even  Odin  was 
beginning  to  feel  the  pangs  of  hunger,  like  the 
most  ordinary  mortal,  when  suddenly,  entering  a  little 
valley,  the  famished  gods  came  upon  a  herd  of 
cattle.  It  was  the  work  of  a  minute  to  kill  a 

330 


The  Appks  of  I  dun  331 

great  ox  and  to  have  the  carcass  swinging  in  a 
huge  pot  over  a  roaring  fire. 

But  never  were  gods  so  unlucky  before!  In  spite  of 
their  hunger,  the  pot  would  not  boil.  They  piled  on 
the  wood  until  the  great  flames  crackled  and  licked  the 
pot  with  their  fiery  tongues,  but  every  time  the  cover  was 
lifted  there  was  the  meat  just  as  raw  as  when  it  was  put 
in.  It  is  easy  to  imagine  that  the  travellers  were  not  in 
very  good  humour.  As  they  were  talking  about  it,  and 
wondering  how  it  could  be,  a  voice  called  out  from  the 
branches  of  the  oak  overhead,  "If  you  will  give  me  my 
fill,  I'll  make  the  pot  boil." 

The  gods  looked  first  at  each  other  and  then  into 
the  tree,  and  there  they  discovered  a  great  eagle.  They 
were  glad  enough  to  get  their  supper  on  almost  any 
terms,  so  they  told  the  eagle  he  might  have  what  he 
wanted  if  he  would  only  get  the  meat  cooked.  The  bird 
was  as  good  as  his  word,  and  in  less  time  than  it  takes 
to  tell  it  supper  was  ready.  Then  the  eagle  flew  down 
and  picked  out  both  shoulders  and  both  legs.  This  was 
a  pretty  large  share,  it  must  be  confessed,  and  Loki, 
wrho  was  always  angry  when  anybody  got  more  than  he, 
no  sooner  saw  what  the  eagle  had  taken,  than  he  seized 
a  great  pole  and  began  to  beat  the  rapacious  bird  unmerci 
fully.  Whereupon  a  very  singular  thing  happened,  as 
singular  things  always  used  to  happen  when  the  gods 
were  concerned:  the  pole  stuck  fast  in  the  huge  talons 
of  the  eagle  at  one  end,  and  Loki  stuck  fast  at  the  other 
end.  Struggle  as  he  might,  he  could  not  get  loose,  and 
as  the  great  bird  sailed  away  over  the  tops  of  the  trees, 
Loki  went  pounding  along  on  the  ground,  striking  against 
rocks  and  branches  until  he  was  bruised  half  to  death. 

The  eagle  was  not  an  ordinary  bird  by  any  means,  as 


332  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

Loki  soon  found  when  he  begged  for  mercy.  The  giant 
Thjasse  happened  to  be  flying  abroad  in  his  eagle  plu 
mage  when  the  hungry  travellers  came  under  the  oak  and 
tried  to  cook  the  ox.  It  was  into  his  hands  that  Loki 
had  fallen,  and  he  was  not  to  get  away  until  he  had 
promised  to  pay  roundly  for  his  freedom. 

If  there  was  one  thing  which  the  gods  prized  above 
their  other  treasures  in  Asgard,  it  was  the  beautiful  fruit 
of  Idun,  kept  by  the  goddess  in  a  golden  casket  and 
given  to  the  gods  to  keep  them  forever  young  and  fair. 
Without  these  Apples  all  their  power  could  not  have 
kept  them  from  getting  old  like  the  meanest  of  mortals. 
Without  these  Apples  of  Idun,  Asgard  itself  would  have 
lost  its  charm;  for  what  would  heaven  be  without  youth 
and  beauty  forever  shining  through  it? 

Thjasse  told  Loki  that  he  could  not  go  unless  he 
would  promise  to  bring  him  the  Apples  of,  Idun.  Loki 
was  wicked  enough  for  anything;  but  when  it  came  to 
robbing  the  gods  of  their  immortality,  even  he  hesi 
tated.  And  while  he  hesitated  the  eagle  dashed  hither 
and  thither,  flinging  him  against  the  sides  of  the  moun 
tains  and  dragging  him  through  the  great  tough  boughs 
of  the  oaks  until  his  courage  gave  out  entirely,  and  he 
promised  to  steal  the  Apples  out  of  Asgard  and  give 
them  to  the  giant. 

Loki  was  bruised  and  sore  enough  when  he  got  on  his 
feet  again  to  hate  the  giant  who  handled  him  so  roughly, 
with  all  his  heart,  but  he  was  not  unwilling  to  keep 
his  promise  to  steal  the  Apples,  if  only  for  the  sake  of 
tormenting  the  other  gods.  But  how  was  it  to  be  done  ? 
Idun  guarded  the  golden  fruit  of  immortality  with  sleep 
less  watchfulness.  No  one  ever  touched  it  but  herself, 
and  a  beautiful  sight  it  was  to  see  her  fair  hands  spread 


The  Apples  of  I  dun  333 

it  forth  for  the  morning  feasts  in  Asgard.  The  power 
which  Loki  possessed  lay  not  so  much  in  his  own  strength, 
although  he  had  a  smooth  way  of  deceiving  people,  as  in 
the  goodness  of  others  who  had  no  thought  of  his  doing 
wrong  because  they  never  did  wrong  themselves. 

Not  long  after  all  this  happened,  Loki  came  carelessly 
up  to  Idun  as  she  was  gathering  her  Apples  to  put  them 
away  in  the  beautiful  carven  box  which  held  them. 

"Good-morning,  goddess,"  said  he.  "How  fair  and 
golden  your  Apples  are!" 

"Yes,"  answered  Idun;  "the  bloom  of  youth  keeps 
them  always  beautiful." 

"I  never  saw  anything  like  them,"  continued  Loki 
slowly,  as  if  he  were  talking  about  a  matter  of  no  impor 
tance,  "until  the  other  day." 

Idun  looked  up  at  once  with  the  greatest  interest  and 
curiosity  in  her  face.  She  was  very  proud  of  her  Apples, 
and  she  knew  no  earthly  trees,  however  large  and  fair, 
bore  the  immortal  fruit. 

"Where  have  you  seen  any  Apples  like  them?"  she 
asked. 

"Oh,  just  outside  the  gates,"  said  Loki  indifferently. 
"If  you  care  to  see  them  I'll  take  you  there.  It  will  keep 
you  but  a  moment.  The  tree  is  only  a  little  way  off." 

Idun  was  anxious  to  go  at  once. 

"Better  take  your  Apples  with  you,  to  compare  them 
with  the  others,"  said  the  wily  god,  as  she  prepared  to  go. 

Idun  gathered  up  the  golden  Apples  and  went  out  of 
Asgard,  carrying  with  her  all  that  made  it  heaven.  No 
sooner  was  she  beyond  the  gates  than  a  mighty  rushing 
sound  was  heard,  like  the  coming  of  a  tempest,  and  before 
she  could  think  or  act,  the  giant  Thjasse,  in  his  eagle 
plumage,  was  bearing  her  swiftly  away  through  the  air 


334  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

to  his  desolate,  icy  home  in  Thrymheim,  where,  after 
vainly  trying  to  persuade  her  to  let  him  eat  the  Apples 
and  be  forever  young  like  the  gods,  he  kept  her  a  lonely 
prisoner. 

Loki,  after  keeping  his  promise  and  delivering  Idun 
into  the  hands  of  the  giant,  strayed  back  into  Asgard  as 
if  nothing  had  happened.  The  next  morning,  when  the 
gods  assembled  for  their  feast,  there  was  no  Idun. 
Day  after  day  went  past,  and  still  the  beautiful  goddess 
did  not  come.  Little  by  little  the  light  of  youth  and 
beauty  faded  from  the  home  of  the  gods,  and  they  them 
selves  became  old  and  haggard.  Their  strong,  young 
faces  were  lined  with  care  and  furrowed  by  age,  their 
raven  locks  passed  from  gray  to  white,  and  their  flashing 
eyes  became  dim  and  hollow.  Brage,  the  god  of  poetry, 
could  make  no  music  while  his  beautiful  wife  was  gone 
he  knew  not  whither. 

Morning  after  morning  the  faded  light  broke  on  paler 
and  ever  paler  faces,  until  even  in  heaven  the  eternal 
light  of  youth  seemed  to  be  going  out  forever. 

Finally  the  gods  could  bear  the  loss  of  power  and  joy 
no  longer.  They  made  rigorous  inquiry.  They  tracked 
Loki  on  that  fair  morning  when  he  led  Idun  beyond  the 
gates;  they  seized  him  and  brought  him  into  solemn 
council,  and  when  he  read  in  their  haggard  faces  the 
deadly  hate  which  flamed  in  all  their  hearts  against  his 
treachery,  his  courage  failed,  and  he  promised  to  bring 
Idun  back  to  Asgard  if  the  goddess  Freyja  would  lend 
him  her  falcon  guise.  No  sooner  said  than  done;  and 
with  eager  gaze  the  gods  watched  him  as  he  flew  away, 
becoming  at  last  only  a  dark  moving  speck  against  the 
sky. 

After  long  and  weary  flight  Loki  came  to  Thrymheim, 


The  Apples  oj  Idun  335 

and  was  glad  enough  to  find  Thjasse  gone  to  sea  and 
Idun  alone  in  his  dreary  house.  He  changed  her  instantly 
into  a  nut,  and  taking  her  thus  disguised  in  his  talons, 
flew  away  as  fast  as  his  falcon  wings  could  carry  him. 
And  he  had  need  of  all  his  speed,  for  Thjasse,  coming 
suddenly  home  and  finding  Idun  and  her  precious  fruit 
gone,  guessed  what  had  happened,  and,  putting  on  his 
eagle  plumage,  flew  forth  in  a  mighty  rage,  with  ven 
geance  in  his  heart.  Like  the  rushing  wings  of  a  tempest, 
his  mighty  pinions  beat  the  air  and  bore  him  swiftly 
onward.  From  mountain  peak  to  mountain  peak  he 
measured  his  wide  course,  almost  grazing  at  times  the 
murmuring  pine  forests,  and  then  sweeping  high  in  mid 
air  with  nothing  above  but  the  arching  sky,  and  nothing 
beneath  but  the  tossing  sea. 

At  last  he  sees  the  falcon  far  ahead,  and  now  his  flight 
becomes  like  the  flash  of  the  lightning  for  swiftness,  and 
like  the  rushing  of  clouds  for  uproar.  The  haggard 
faces  of  the  gods  line  the  walls  of  Asgard  and  watch  the 
race  with  tremulous  eagerness.  Youth  and  immortality 
are  staked  upon  the  winning  of  Loki.  He  is  weary 
enough  and  frightened  enough,  too,  as  the  eagle  sweeps  on 
close  behind  him ;  but  he  makes  desperate  efforts  to  widen 
the  distance  between  them.  Little  by  little  the  eagle 
gains  on  the  falcon.  The  gods  grow  white  with  fear;  they 
rush  off  and  prepare  great  fires  upon  the  walls.  With 
fainting,  drooping  wing  the  falcon  passes  over  and 
drops  exhausted  by  the  wall.  In  an  instant  the  fires 
have  been  lighted,  and  the  great  flames  roar  to  heaven. 
The  eagle  sweeps  across  the  fiery  line  a  second  later,  and 
falls,  maimed  and  burned,  to  the  ground,  where  a  dozen 
fierce  hands  smite  the  life  out  of  him,  and  the  great  giant 
Thjasse  perishes  among  his  foes. 


336  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

Idim  resumes  her  natural  form  as  Brage  rushes  to  meet 
her.  The  gods  crowd  round  her.  She  spreads  the 
feast,  the  golden  Apples  gleaming  with  unspeakable 
lustre  in  the  eyes  of  the  gods.  They  eat;  and  once  more 
their  faces  glow  with  the  beauty  of  immortal  youth,  their 
eyes  flash  with  the  radiance  of  divine  power,  and,  while 
Idun  stands  like  a  star  for  beauty  among  the  throng,  the 
song  of  Brage  is  heard  once  more;  for  poetry  and  im 
mortality  are  wedded  again. 


CHAPTER  XV 

THE  DEATH  OF  BALDER 

THERE  was  one  shadow  which  always  fell  over  Asgard. 
Sometimes  in  the  long  years  the  gods  almost  forgot  it, 
it  lay  so  far  off,  like  a  dim  cloud  in  a  clear  sky;  but  Odin 
saw  it  deepen  and  widen  as  he  looked  out  into  the  uni 
verse,  and  he  knew  that  the  last  great  battle  would  surely 
come,  when  the  gods  themselves  would  be  destroyed  and 
a  long  twilight  would  rest  on  all  the  worlds;  and  now 
the  day  was  close  at  hand.  Misfortunes  never  come 
singly  to  men,  and  they  did  not  to  the  gods.  Idun,  the 
beautiful  goddess  of  youth,  whose  apples  were  the  joy  of 
all  Asgard,  made  a  resting  place  for  herself  among  the 
massive  branches  of  Yggdrasil,  and  there  every  evening 
came  Brage,  and  sang  so  sweetly  that  the  birds  stopped 
to  listen,  and  even  the  Norns,  those  implacable  sisters  at 
the  foot  of  the  tree,  were  softened  by  the  melody.  But 
poetry  cannot  change  the  purposes  of  fate,  and  one 
evening  no  song  was  heard  of  Brage  or  birds, 
the  leaves  of  the  world  tree  hung  withered  and 
lifeless  on  the  branches,  and  the  fountain  from 
which  they  had  daily  been  sprinkled  was  dry 
at  last.  Idun  had  fallen  into  the  dark  valley  of  death, 
and  when  Brage,  Heimdal,  and  Loki  went  to  question 
her  about  the  future  she  could  answer  them  only 
with  tears.  Brage  would  not  leave  his  beautiful 
wife  alone  amid  the  dim  shades  that  crowded  the 

337 


338  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

dreary  valley,  and  so  youth  and  genius  vanished  out  of 
Asgard  forever. 

Balder  was  the  most  godlike  of  all  the  gods,  because 
he  was  the  purest  and  the  best.  Wherever  he  went  his 
coming  was  like  the  coming  of  sunshine,  and  all  the  beauty 
of  summer  was  but  the  shining  of  his  face.  When  men's 
hearts  were  white  like  the  light,  and  their  lives  clear  as 
the  day,  it  was  because  Balder  was  looking  down  upon 
them  with  those  soft,  clear  eyes  that  were  open  windows 
to  the  soul  of  God.  He  had  always  lived  in  such  a  glow 
of  brightness  that  no  darkness  had  ever  touched  him; 
but  one  morning,  after  Idun  and  Brage  had  gone, 
Balder's  face  was  sad  and  troubled.  He  walked  slowly 
from  room  to  room  in  his  palace  Breidablik,  stainless  as 
the  sky  when  April  showers  have  swept  across  it  because 
no  impure  thing  had  ever  crossed  the  threshold,  and 
his  eyes  were  heavy  with  sorrow.  In  the  .night  terrible 
dreams  had  broken  his  sleep,  and  made  it  a  long  torture. 
The  air  seemed  to  be  full  of  awful  changes  for  him  and 
for  all  the  gods.  He  knew  in  his  soul  that  the  shadow 
of  the  last  great  day  was  sweeping  on ;  as  he  looked  out  and 
saw  the  worlds  lying  in  light  and  beauty,  the  fields  yellow 
with  waving  grain,  the  deep  fiords  flashing  back  the  sun 
beams  from  their  clear  depths,  the  verdure  clothing  the 
loftiest  mountains,  and  knew  that  over  all  this  darkness 
and  desolation  would  come,  with  silence  of  reapers  and 
birds,  with  fading  of  leaf  and  flower,  a  great  sorrow  fell 
on  his  heart. 

Balder  could  bear  the  burden  no  longer.  He  went  out, 
called  all  the  gods  together,  and  told  them  the  terrible 
dreams  of  the  night.  Every  face  was  heavy  with  care. 
The  death  of  Balder  would  be  like  the  going  out  of  the 
sun,  and  after  a  long,  sad  council  the  gods  resolved  to 


The  Death  oj  Balder  339 

protect  him  from  harm  by  pledging  all  things  to  stand 
between  him  and  any  hurt.  So  Frigg,  his  mother,  went 
forth  and  made  everything  promise,  on  a  solemn  oath, 
not  to  injure  her  son.  Fire,  iron,  all  kinds  of  metal,  every 
sort  of  stone,  trees,  earth,  diseases,  birds,  beasts,  snakes, 
as  the  anxious  mother  went  to  them,  solemnly  pledged 
themselves  that  no  harm  should  come  near  Balder. 
Everything  promised,  and  Frigg  thought  she  had  driven 
away  the  cloud ;  but  fate  was  stronger  than  her  love,  and 
one  little  shrub  had  not  sworn. 

Odin  was  not  satisfied  even  with  these  precautions,  for 
whichever  way  he  looked  the  shadow  of  a  great  sorrow 
spread  over  the  worlds.  He  began  to  feel  as  if  he  were 
no  longer  the  greatest  of  the  gods,  and  he  could  almost 
hear  the  rough  shouts  of  the  frost  giants  crowding  the 
rainbow  bridge  on  their  way  into  Asgard.  When  trouble 
comes  to  men  it  is  hard  to  bear,  but  to  a  god  who  had  so 
many  worlds  to  guide  and  rule  it  was  a  new  and  terrible 
thing.  Odin  thought  and  thought  until  he  was  weary, 
but  no  gleam  of  light  could  he  find  anywhere;  it  was 
thick  darkness  everywhere. 

At  last  he  could  bear  the  suspense  no  longer,  and 
saddling  his  horse  he  rode  sadly  out  of  Asgard  to  Niflheim, 
the  home  of  Hel,  whose  face  was  as  the  face  of  death  itself. 
As  he  drew  near  the  gates,  a  monstrous  dog  came  out  and 
barked  furiously,  but  Odin  rode  a  little  eastward  of  the 
shadowy  gates  to  the  grave  of  a  wonderful  prophetess. 
It  was  a  cold,  gloomy  place,  and  the  soul  of  the  great 
god  was  pierced  with  a  feeling  of  hopeless  sorrow  as  he 
dismounted  from  Sleipner,  and  bending  over  the  grave 
began  to  chant  weird  songs,  and  weave  magical  charms 
over  it.  When  he  had  spoken  those  wonderful  words 
which  could  waken  the  dead  from  their  sleep,  there  was 


34Q  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

an  awful  silence  for  a  moment,  and  then  a  faint  ghost 
like  voice  came  from  the  grave. 

"Who  art  thou?"  it  said.  "Who  breaketh  the  silence 
of  death,  and  calleth  the  sleeper  out  of  her  long  slumbers  ? 
Ages  ago  I  was  laid  at  rest  here,  snow  and  rain  have  fallen 
upon  me  through  myriad  years;  why  dost  thou  disturb 
me?" 

"I  am  Vegtam,"  answered  Odin,  "and  I  come  to  ask 
why  the  couches  of  Hel  are  hung  with  gold  and  the  benches 
strewn  with  shining  rings?" 

"It  is  done  for  Balder,"  answered  the  awful  voice; 
"ask  me  no  more." 

Odin's  heart  sank  when  he  heard  these  words;  but  he 
was  determined  to  know  the  worst. 

"I  will  ask  thee  until  I  know  all.  Who  shall  strike 
the  fatal  blow?" 

"If  I  must,  I  must,"  moaned  the  prophetess.  "Hoder 
shall  smite  his  brother  Balder  and  send  him  down  to  the 
dark  home  of  Hel.  The  mead  is  already  brewed  for 
Balder,  and  the  despair  draweth  near." 

Then  Odin,  looking  into  the  future  across  the  open 
grave,  saw  all  the  days  to  come. 

"Who  is  this,"  he  said,  seeing  that  which  no  mortal 
could  have  seen;  "who  is  this  that  will  not  weep  for 
Balder?" 

Then  the  prophetess  knew  that  it  was  none  other  than 
the  greatest  of  the  gods  who  had  called  her  up. 

"Thou  art  not  Vegtam,"  she  exclaimed,  "thou  art 
Odin  himself,  the  king  of  men." 

"And  thou,"  answered  Odin  angrily,  "art  no  prophet 
ess,  but  the  mother  of  three  giants." 

"Ride  home,  then,  and  exult  in  what  thou  hast  dis 
covered,"  said  the  dead  woman.  "Never  shall  my 


The  Death  oj  Balder  341 

slumbers  be  broken  again  until  Loki  shall  burst  his 
chains  and  the  great  battle  come." 

And  Odin  rode  sadly  homeward  knowing  that  already 
Niflheim  was  making  itself  beautiful  against  the  coming 
of  Balder. 

The  other  gods  meanwhile  had  become  merry  again; 
for  had  not  everything  promised  to  protect  their  beloved 
Balder?  They  even  made  sport  of  that  which  troubled 
them,  for  when  they  found  that  nothing  could  hurt 
Balder,  and  that  all  things  glanced  aside  from  his  shining 
form,  they  persuaded  him  to  stand  as  a  target  for  their 
weapons;  hurling  darts,  spears,  swords,  and  battle- 
axes  at  him,  all  of  which  went  singing  through  the  air 
and  fell  harmless  at  his  feet.  But  Loki,  when  he  saw 
these  sports,  was  jealous  of  Balder,  and  went  about 
thinking  how  he  could  destroy  him. 

It  happened  that  as  Frigg  sat  spinning  in  her  house 
Fensal,  the  soft  wind  blowing  in  at  the  windows  and 
bringing  the  merry  shouts  of  the  gods  at  play,  an  old 
woman  entered  and  approached  her. 

"Do  you  know,"  asked  the  newcomer,  "what  they  are 
doing  in  Asgard?  They  are  throwing  all  manner  of 
dangerous  weapons  at  Balder.  He  stands  there  like  the 
sun  for  brightness,  and  against  his  glory,  spears  and  battle- 
axes  fall  powerless  to  the  ground.  Nothing  can  harm 
him." 

"No,"  answered  Frigg  joyfully;  "nothing  can  bring 
him  any  hurt,  for  I  have  made  everything  in  heaven  and 
earth  swear  to  protect  him." 

"What!"  said  the  old  woman,  "has  everything  sworn 
to  guard  Balder?" 

"Yes,"  said  Frigg,  "everything  has  sworn  except  one 
little  shrub  which  is  called  Mistletoe,  and  grows  on  the 


342  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

eastern  side  of  Valhal.  I  did  not  take  an  oath  from  that 
because  I  thought  it  too  young  and  weak." 

When  the  old  woman  heard  this  a  strange  light  came 
into  her  eyes;  she  walked  off  much  faster  than  she  had 
come  in,  and  no  sooner  had  she  passed  beyond  Frigg's 
sight  than  this  same  feeble  old  woman  grew  suddenly 
erect,  shook  off  her  woman's  garments,  and  there  stood 
Loki  himself.  In  a  moment  he  had  reached  the  slope 
east  of  Valhal,  had  plucked  a  twig  of  the  unsworn  Mistle 
toe,  and  was  back  in  the  circle  of  the  gods,  who  were  still 
at  their  favourite  pastime  with  Balder.  Hoder  was 
standing  silent  and  alone  outside  the  noisy  throng,  for 
he  was  blind.  Loki  touched  him. 

"Why  do  you  not  throw  something  at  Balder?" 

"Because  I  cannot  see  where  Balder  stands,  and  have 
nothing  to  throw  if  I  could,"  replied  Hoder. 

"If  that  is  all,"  said  Loki,  "come  with  me.  I  will  give 
you  something  to  throw,  and  direct  your  aim." 

Hoder,  thinking  no  evil,  went  with  Loki  and  did  as 
he  was  told. 

The  little  sprig  of  Mistletoe  shot  through  the* air, 
pierced  the  heart  of  Balder,  and  in  a  moment  the  beautiful 
god  lay  dead  upon  the  field.  A  shadow  rose  out  of  the 
deep  beyond  the  worlds  and  spread  itself  over  heaven 
and  earth,  for  the  light  of  the  universe  had  gone  out. 

The  gods  could  not  speak  for  horror.  They  stood  like 
statues  for  a  moment,  and  then  a  hopeless  wail  burst 
from  their  lips.  Tears  fell  like  rain  from  eyes  that  had 
never  wept  before,  for  Balder,  the  joy  of  Asgard,  had 
gone  to  Niflheim  and  left  them  desolate.  But  Odin  was 
saddest  of  all,  because  he  knew  the  future,  and  he  knew 
that  peace  and  light  had  fled  from  Asgard  forever,  and 
that  the  last  day  and  the  long  night  were  hurrying  on. 


The  Death  o]  Balder  343 

Frigg  could  not  give  up  her  beautiful  son,  and  when  her 
grief  had  spent  itself  a  little,  she  asked  who  would  go 
to  Hel  and  offer  her  a  rich  ransom  if  she  would  permit 
Balder  to  return  to  Asgard. 

"I  will  go,"  said  Hermod;  swift  at  the  word  of  Odin 
Sleipner  was  led  forth,  and  in  an  instant  Hermod  was 
galloping  furiously  away. 

Then  the  gods  began  with  sorrowful  hearts  to  make 
ready  for  Balder's  funeral.  When  the  once  beautiful 
form  had  been  arrayed  in  grave  clothes  they  carried  it 
reverently  down  to  the  deep  sea,  which  lay,  calm  as  a 
summer  afternoon,  waiting  for  its  precious  burden. 
Close  to  the  water's  edge  lay  Balder's  Ringhorn,  the 
greatest  of  all  the  ships  that  sailed  the  seas,  but  when 
the  gods  tried  to  launch  it  they  could  not  move  it  an  inch. 
The  great  vessel  creaked  and  groaned,  but  no  one  could 
push  it  down  to  the  water.  Odin  walked  about  it  with  a 
sad  face,  and  the  gentle  ripple  of  the  little  waves  chasing 
each  other  over  the  rocks  seemed  a  mocking  laugh  to  him. 

"Send  to  Jotunheim  for  Hyrroken,"  he  said  at  last;  and 
a  messenger  was  soon  flying  for  that  mighty  giantess. 

In  a  little  time,  Hyrroken  came  riding  swiftly  on  a 
wolf  so  large  and  fierce  that  he  made  the  gods  think  of 
Fenrer.  When  the  giantess  had  alighted,  Odin  ordered 
four  Berserkers  of  mighty  strength  to  hold  the  wolf,  but 
he  struggled  so  angrily  that  they  had  to  throw  him  on  the 
ground  before  they  could  control  him.  Then  Hyrroken 
went  to  the  prow  of  the  ship  and  with  one  mighty  effort 
sent  it  far  into  the  sea,  the  rollers  underneath  bursting 
into  flame,  and  the  whole  earth  trembling  with  the  shock. 
Thor  was  so  angry  at  the  uproar  that  he  would  have 
killed  the  giantess  on  the  spot  if  he  had  not  been  held 
back  by  the  other  gods.  The  great  ship  floated  on  the 


344  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

sea  as  she  had  often  done  before,  when  Balder,  full  of  life 
and  beauty,  set  all  her  sails  and  was  borne  joyfully 
across  the  tossing  seas.  Slowly  and  solemnly  the  dead 
god  was  carried  on  board,  and  as  Nanna,  his  faithful  wife, 
saw  her  husband  borne  for  the  last  time  from  the  earth 
which  he  had  made  dear  to  her  and  beautiful  to  all  men, 
her  heart  broke  with  sorrow,  and  they  laid  her  beside 
Balder  on  the  funeral  pyre. 

Since  the  world  began  no  one  had  seen  such  a  funeral. 
No  bells  tolled,  no  long  procession  of  mourners  moved 
across  the  hills,  but  all  the  worlds  lay  under  a  deep 
shadow,  and  from  every  quarter  came  those  who  had 
loved  or  feared  Balder.  There  at  the  very  water's  edge 
stood  Odin  himself,  the  ravens  flying  about  his  head,  and 
on  his  majestic  face  a  gloom  that  no  sun  would  ever 
lighten  again;  and  there  was  Frigg,  the  desolate  mother 
whose  son  had  already  gone  so  far  that  he  would  never 
come  back  to  her;  there  was  Frey  standing  sad  and 
stern  in  his  chariot;  there  was  Freyja,  the  goddess  of 
love,  from  whose  eyes  fell  a  shining  rain  of  tears;  there, 
too,  was  Heimdal  on  his  horse  Goldtop;  and  around  all 
these  glorious  ones  from  Asgard  crowded  the  children 
of  Jotunheim,  grim  mountain  giants  seamed  with  scars 
from  Thor's  hammer,  and  frost  giants  who  saw  in  the 
death  of  Balder  the  coming  of  that  long  winter  in  which 
they  should  reign  through  all  the  worlds. 

A  deep  hush  fell  on  all  created  things,  and  every  eye 
was  fixed  on  the  great  ship  riding  near  the  shore,  and  on 
the  funeral  pyre  rising  from  the  deck  crowned  with  the 
forms  of  Balder  and  Nanna.  Suddenly  a  gleam  of 
light  flashed  over  the  water;  the  pile  had  been  kindled, 
and  the  flames,  creeping  slowly  at  first,  climbed  faster 
and  faster  until  they  met  over  the  dead  and  rose  skyward, 


The  Death  of  Balder  34$ 

A  lurid  light  filled  the  heavens  and  shone  on  the  sea,  and 
in  the  brightness  of  it  the  gods  looked  pale  and  sad,  and 
the  circle  of  giants  grew  darker  and  more  portentous. 
Thor  struck  the  fast  burning  pyre  with  his  consecrating 
hammer,  and  Odin  cast  into  it  the  wonderful  ring  Draup- 
ner.  Higher  and  higher  leaped  the  flames,  more  and 
more  desolate  grew  the  scene;  at  last  they  began  to  sink, 
the  funeral  pyre  was  consumed.  Balder  had  vanished 
forever,  the  summer  was  ended,  and  winter  waited  at  the 
doors. 

Meanwhile  Hermod  was  riding  hard  and  fast  on  his 
gloomy  errand.  Nine  days  and  nights  he  rode  through 
valleys  so  deep  and  dark  that  he  could  not  see  his  horse. 
Stillness  and  blackness  and  solitude  were  his  only  com 
panions  until  he  came  to  the  golden  bridge  which  crosses 
the  river  Gjol.  The  good  horse  Sleipner,  who  had 
carried  Odin  on  so  many  strange  journeys,  had  never 
travelled  such  a  road  before,  and  his  hoofs  rang  drearily 
as  he  stopped  short  at  the  bridge,  for  in  front  of  him  stood 
its  porter,  the  gigantic  Modgud. 

"Who  are  you?"  she  asked,  fixing  her  piercing  eyes  on 
Hermod.  ""What  is  your  name  and  parentage ?  Yester 
day  five  bands  of  dead  men  rode  across  the  bridge,  and 
beneath  them  all  it  did  not  shake  as  under  your  single 
tread.  There  is  no  colour  of  death  in  your  face.  Why 
ride  you  hither,  the  living  among  the  dead?" 

"I  come,"  said  Hermod,  "to  seek  for  Balder.  Have 
you  seen  him  pass  this  way?" 

"He  has  already  crossed  the  bridge  and  taken  his 
journey  northward  to  Hel." 

Then  Hermod  rode  slowly  across  the  bridge  that  spans 
the  abyss  between  life  and  death,  and  found  his  way  at 
last  to  the  barred  gates  of  Hel's  dreadful  home.  There  he 


346  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

sprang  to  the  ground,  tightened  the  girths,  remounted, 
drove  the  spurs  deep  into  the  horse,  and  Sleipner,  with  a 
mighty  leap,  cleared  the  wall.  Hermod  rode  straight  to 
the  gloomy  palace,  dismounted,  entered,  and  in  a  moment 
was  face  to  face  with  the  terrible  queen  of  the  kingdom  of 
the  dead.  Beside  her,  on  a  beautiful  throne,  sat  Balder, 
pale  and  wan,  crowned  with  a  withered  wreath  of 
flowers,  and  close  at  hand  was  Nanna,  pallid  as  her 
husband,  for  whom  she  had  died.  And  all  night  long, 
while  ghostly  forms  wandered  restless  and  sleepless 
through  Helheim,  Hermod  talked  with  Balder  and 
Nanna.  There  is  no  record  of  what  they  said,  but  the 
talk  was  sad  enough,  doubtless,  and  ran  like  a  still  stream 
among  the  happy  days  in  Asgard  when  Balder's  smile 
was  morning  over  the  earth  and  the  sight  of  his  face 
the  summer  of  the  world. 

When  the  morning  came,  fault  and  dim,  through  the 
dusky  palace,  Hermod  sought  Hel,  who  received  him  as 
cold  and  stern  as  fate. 

"Your  kingdom  is  full,  O  Hel!"  he  said,  "and  without 
Balder,  Asgard  is  empty.  Send  him  back  to  us  once 
more,  for  there  is  sadness  in  every  heart  and  tears  are  in 
every  eye.  Through  heaven  and  earth  all  things  weep 
for  him." 

"If  that  is  true,"  was  the  slow,  icy  answer,  "if  every 
created  thing  weeps  for  Balder,  he  shall  return  to  Asgard; 
but  if  one  eye  is  dry  he  remains  henceforth  in  Helheim." 

Then  Hermod  rode  swiftly  away,  and  the  decree  of 
Hel  was  soon  told  in  Asgard.  Through  all  the  worlds 
the  gods  sent  messengers  to  say  that  all  who  loved 
Balder  should  weep  for  his  return,  and  everywhere  tears 
fell  like  rain.  There  was  weeping  in  Asgard,  and  in  all 
the  earth  there  was  nothing  that  did  not  weep.  Men  and 


The  Death  of  Balder  347 

women  and  little  children,  missing  the  light  that  had  once 
fallen  into  their  hearts  and  homes,  sobbed  with  bitter 
grief;  the  birds  of  the  air,  who  had  sung  carols  of  joy  at 
the  gates  of  the  morning  since  time  began,  were  full 
of  sorrow;  the  beasts  of  the  fields  crouched  and  moaned 
in  their  desolation;  the  great  trees,  that  had  put  on  their 
robes  of  green  at  Balder 's  command,  sighed  as  the  wind 
wailed  through  them;  and  the  sweet  flowers,  that  waited 
for  Balder's  footstep  and  sprang  up  in  all  the  fields  to 
greet  him,  hung  their  frail  blossoms  and  wept  bitterly 
for  the  love  and  the  warmth  and  the  light  that  had  gone 
out.  Throughout  the  whole  earth  there  was  nothing 
but  weeping,  and  the  sound  of  it  was  like  the  wailing  of 
those  storms  in  autumn  that  weep  for  the  dead  summer 
as  its  withered  leaves  drop  one  by  one  from  the  trees. 

The  messengers  of  the  gods  went  gladly  back  to  Asgard, 
for  everything  had  wept  for  Balder;  but  as  they  journeyed 
they  came  upon  a  giantess,  called  Thok,  and  her  eyes 
were  dry. 

"Weep  for  Balder,"  they  said. 

"With  dry  eyes  only  will  I  weep  for  Balder,"  she 
answered.  "Dead  or  alive,  he  never  gave  me  gladness. 
Let  him  stay  in  Helheim." 

When  she  had  spoken  these  words  a  terrible  laugh 
broke  from  her  lips,  and  the  messengers  looked  at  each 
other  with  pallid  faces,  for  they  knew  it  was  the  voice  of 
Loki. 

Balder  never  came  back  to  Asgard,  and  the  shadows 
deepened  over  all  things,  for  the  night  of  death  was 
fast  coming  on. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

THE  STAR  AND  THE  LILY 

AN  old  chieftain  sat  in  his  wigwam,  quietly  smoking 
his  favourite  pipe,  when  a  crowd  of  Indian  boys  and 
girls  suddenly  entered,  and,  with  numerous  offerings  of 
tobacco,  begged  him  to  tell  them  a  story,  and  he  did  so. 

There  was  once  a  time  when  this  world  was  filled  with 
happy  people;  when  all  the  nations  were  as  one,  and  the 
crimson  tide  of  war  had  not  begun  to  roll.  Plenty  of 
game  was  in  the  forest  and  on  the  plains.  None  were 
in  want,  for  a  full  supply  was  at  hand.  Sickness  was 
unknown.  The  beasts  of  the  field  were  tame;  they  came 
and  went  at  the  bidding  of  man.  One  unending  spring 
gave  no  place  for  winter — for  its  cold  blasts  or  its  un 
healthy  chills.  Every  tree  and  bush  yielded  fruit. 
Flowers  carpeted  the  earth.  The  air  was  laden  with  their 
fragrance,  and  redolent  with  the  songs  of  wedded  warblers 
that  flew  from  branch  to  branch,  fearing  none,  for  there 
were  none  to  harm  them.  There  were  birds  then  of 
more  beautiful  song  and  plumage  than  now.  It  was  at 
such  a  time,  when  earth  was  a  paradise  and  man  worthily 
its  possessor,  that  the  Indians  were  lone  inhabitants  of 
the  American  wilderness.  They  numbered  millions ;  and, 
living  as  nature  designed  them  to  live,  enjoyed  its  many 
blessings.  Instead  of  amusements  in  close  rooms,  the 
sport  of  the  field  was  theirs.  At  night  they  met  on  the 
wide  green  beneath  the  heavenly  worlds — the  ah-ntmg-o- 

348 


The  Star  and  the  Lily  349 

kali.  They  watched  the  stars ;  they  loved  to  gaze  at  them, 
for  they  believed  them  to  be  the  residences  of  the  good, 
who  had  been  taken  home  by  the  Great  Spirit. 

One  night  they  saw  one  star  that  shone  brighter  than 
all  others.  Its  location  was  far  away  in  the  south,  near  a 
mountain  peak.  For  many  nights  it  was  seen,  till  at 
length  it  was  doubted  by  many  that  the  star  was  as  far 
distant  in  the  southern  skies  as  it  seemed  to  be.  This 
doubt  led  to  an  examination,  which  proved  the  star  to  be 
only  a  short  distance  away,  and  near  the  tops  of  some 
trees.  A  number  of  warriors  were  deputed  to  go  and 
see  what  it  was.  They  went,  and  on  their  return  said  it 
appeared  strange,  and  somewhat  like  a  bird.  A  com 
mittee  of  the  wise  men  were  called  to  inquire  into,  and  if 
possible  to  ascertain  the  meaning  of,  the  strange  phenome 
non.  They  feared  that  it  might  be  the  omen  of  some 
disaster.  Some  thought  it  a  precursor  of  good,  others  of 
evil;  and  some  supposed  it  to  be  the  star  spoken  of  by 
their  forefathers  as  the  forerunner  of  a  dreadful  war. 

One  moon  had  nearly  gone  by,  and  yet  the  mystery 
remained  unsolved.  One  night  a  young  warrior  had  a 
dream,  in  which  a  beautiful  maiden  came  and  stood  at 
his  side,  and  thus  addressed  him:  "Young  brave! 
charmed  with  the  land  of  my  forefathers,  its  flowers,  its 
birds,  its  rivers,  its  beautiful  lakes,  and  its  mountains 
clothed  with  green,  I  have  left  my  sisters  in  yonder 
world  to  dwell  among  you.  Young  brave!  ask  your  wise 
and  your  great  men  where  I  can  live  and  see  the  happy 
race  continually;  ask  them  what  form  I  shall  assume  in 
order  to  be  loved." 

Thus  discoursed  the  bright  stranger.  The  young  man 
awoke.  On  stepping  out  of  his  lodge  he  saw  the  star 
yet  blazing  in  its  accustomed  place.  At  early  dawn  the 


350  Myths  Every  Child  Should  Know 

chief's  crier  was  sent  round  the  camp  to  call  every  warrior 
to  the  council  lodge.  When  they  had  met,  the  young 
warrior  related  his  dream.  They  concluded  that  the 
star  that  had  been  seen  in  the  south  had  fallen  in  love 
with  mankind,  and  that  it  was  desirous  to  dwell  with 
them. 

The  next  night  five  tall,  noble-looking,  adventurous 
braves  were  sent  to  welcome  the  stranger  to  earth.  They 
went  and  presented  to  it  a  pipe  of  peace,  filled  with 
sweet-scented  herbs,  and  were  rejoiced  that  it  took  it  from 
them.  As  they  returned  to  the  village,  the  star,  with 
expanded  wings,  followed,  and  hovered  over  their  homes 
till  the  dawn  of  day.  Again  it  came  to  the  young  man  in 
a  dream,  and  desired  to  know  where  it  should  live  and 
what  form  it  should  take.  Places  were  named — on  the 
top  of  giant  trees,  or  in  flowers.  At  length  it  was  told  to 
choose  a  place  itself,  and  it  did  so.  At  first  it  dwelt  in 
the  white  rose  of  the  mountains;  but  there  it  was  so 
buried  that  it  could  not  be  seen.  It  went  to  the  prairie; 
but  it  feared  the  hoof  of  the  buffalo.  It  next  sought  the 
rocky  cliff;  but  there  it  was  so  high  that  the  children, 
whom  it  loved  most,  could  not  see  it. 

"I  know  where  I  shall  live,"  said  the  bright  fugitive — 
"where  I  can  see  the  gliding  canoe  of  the  race  I  most 
admire.  Children! — yes,  they  shall  be  my  playmates, 
and  I  will  kiss  their  slumber  by  the  side  of  cool  lakes. 
The  nation  shall  love  me  wherever  I  am." 

These  words  having  been  said,  she  alighted  on  the 
waters,  where  she  saw  herself  reflected.  The  next 
morning  thousands  of  white  flowers  were  seen  on  the 
surface  of  the  lakes,  and  the  Indians  gave  them  this 
name,  wah-be-gwan-nee  (white  flower). 

This  star  lived  in  the  southern  skies.    Her  brethren 


The  Star  and  the  Lily  351 

can  be  seen  far  off  in  the  cold  north,  hunting  the  Great 
Bear,  whilst  her  sisters  watch  her  in  the  east  and  west. 

Children!  when  you  see  the  lily  on  the  waters,  take  it  in 
your  hands  and  hold  it  to  the  skies,  that  it  may  be  happy 
on  earth,  as  its  two  sisters,  the  morning  and  evening 
stars,  are  happy  in  heaven. 


